


Sheer Magnetism

by SooperChicken



Series: Black Butler [1]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Attraction, Chivalry, Curiosity, Demons, Desire, F/M, Falling In Love, Flirting, Getting to Know Each Other, Innocence, Jealousy, Kinky, Made For Each Other, Obsession, Romance, Seduction, Soulmates, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-12 07:06:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 59,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7925305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SooperChicken/pseuds/SooperChicken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a close friend of Lady Elizabeth Midford, the young fiancée of Earl Ciel Phantomhive. One day, you accompany her on a visit to the home of her beloved so that you, a seemingly shy and somewhat withdrawn young noblewoman, might expand your social network and make some waves in your ascribed social circle.</p><p>Find out what happens when you meet some rather interesting individuals--namely a certain butler--who aren't necessarily part of that circle...At least not in the sense that the young Earl and Lady are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Phantomhive Manor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, good readers!
> 
> I hope this fanfiction is okay! Please feel free to leave a comment or any advice for the future, or let me know if you liked it! Feedback is much appreciated! :)
> 
> Also, thank you so much for reading! You're all amazing! ^_^
> 
> The key is as follows (some may not actually appear but if they do):  
> (F/N) = First Name  
> (L/N) = Last Name  
> (E/C) = Eye Colour  
> (H/C) = Hair Colour  
> (H/L) = Hair Length
> 
>  
> 
> \- SooperChicken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, the good friend of young Elizabeth Midford, are on your way to visit her fiancé: Earl Ciel Phantomhive. You are not, however, expecting to come face-to-face with the Earl's intriguing butler Sebastian, nor are you expecting to find yourself incapable of conducting normal conversation in his presence.

The sounds of the carriage wheels clattering over stray stones and pebbles along the beaten country paths soon gave way to the familiar crunch of gravel. The horses' hoof beats softened as they met the loose pebbles and you glanced out of the window at the scenery beyond, tweaking the russet velvet curtain as you did so. Your careful, gentle fingers toyed with the fabric nervously as you watched trees lining the road pass the carriage by. The sky above was clear blue, unperturbed by clouds of any variety, and the sun beat down happily, bathing the country in its glorious light...But it offered no warmth.

It was a cold day, one of those where even the sun could not warm you. You had known that it would be rather crisp today as soon as you saw the low mist descending upon your family's estate the night before, and the subsequent frost cloaking the grass in the morning. The treeline at the edge of the property, the one you could see from your bedroom window, had been dyed lilac by the early morning sun and wintry conditions and you had shivered at the mere sight of it. The cold could be refreshing at best, but at worst it seeped into the very fabric of your being and gnawed at your bones.

You hoped to reach your destination soon, for fear that your joints would seize up with ice. Your discomfort wasn't entirely obvious, but you knew that at the very least your cheeks would be white with cold and the tip of your nose would be pink like a raspberry.

You were suddenly yanked back to reality by your good friend Elizabeth's sudden excited chattering. She was like a much younger child then, behaving as one would when taken to the seaside for instance. You wanted to smile at her zeal and enthusiasm, and her overall happy demeanour, but your lips and cheeks were sealed in place after exposure to the frosty air.

"Oh, I simply cannot wait for you to meet him, dear!" babbled Elizabeth, beaming across the carriage at you from where she sat opposite. "I have a feeling you'll get along famously!"

If you were going to be completely honest with yourself, you didn't know if that was really going to be the case at all. You'd never gone anywhere without your father or mother, and so you knew very little of the upper-class social world into which you were about to be hurled headlong. You had, however, heard about the Lords and Ladies of your parents' social circle and young Lizzie just so happened to be one of them. In meeting Lizzie, you also learned something of Ciel Phantomhive--you hoped that your father's warnings that the Earl could, at times, be a dour and brooding young man, would not be something that you would have to worry about during your stay at the boy's estate.

You yourself were not incredibly advanced in years compared to Lizzie and presumably her fiancé. You were approaching twenty years of age, whereas Lizzie was in her early teens, thereby allowing for a proper friendship that would not be affected by more mentor/mentee undertones. You were simply friends, and you were prepared to admit that she did add a great deal of spice to your life. Things had become much livelier for you since Lizzie started visiting. You just could not understand how a girl so exuberant and jovial could come from such a severe and draconian woman as her mother.

After a good deal of thought, you forced yourself to reply in spite of your cold, dry lips. "I am sure that he is as good a person as you say he is,"

Lizzie smiled brightly at you before looking back out of the window. "Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. "We've arrived!"

Just as she said this, the carriage drew to a complete stop and its position allowed you to glance timidly out from behind the velvet curtain, up at the grand mansion before you. As you took in the sights, however, you noticed two figures coming towards the vehicle. One was a tall, striking man clad almost entirely in black and the other was a much, much shorter boy dressed in the finest of clothing and an eye-patch covering his right eye.

" _That must be Ciel Phantomhive..._ " you thought quietly, looking at the boy. At the same time you found your interest piqued by the man who was clearly the young Earl's butler. You quickly retreated back behind the curtain to avoid being caught staring and lowered your gaze to your lap, hands clasped neatly together in the same place. Before long, a short click resounded throughout the carriage as someone opened the door from the outside. The next thing you heard was somebody's unfamiliar voice.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Lady. Do come inside,"

"Thank you, Sebastian,"

You glanced upwards to see the butler, Sebastian, standing there offering a hand to Lizzie to help her out of the vehicle. Now that he was closer you could see in much better detail how very handsome he was. Raven-black hair, ivory skin and, when Lizzie was out of the carriage and he turned his attention to you, you could see clearly his beautiful amber-red eyes.

You only just heard Lizzie run off in the Earl's direction squealing his name, for you seemed to be caught in some kind of trance. Having met this Sebastian character's gaze with your own, you both seemed to be caught there. Neither one of you attempted to tear your eyes away, nor did either of you move. It was a strange situation indeed, and not one that you could ever have become familiar with.

Suddenly he cleared his throat and offered you a hand down from the carriage as he had done for Lizzie.

"Welcome, Miss. We have been expecting you," He used the same smooth, relaxed voice as he had done moments earlier, and bowed just as he had then as well.

"Thank you," you said quietly. You gently and gingerly placed your hand on his while exiting the carriage, and once your feet touched firm ground and he had straightened up, you took great care not to meet his eyes again out of concern that it would be considered impolite. Despite that, you could feel eyes on you even as you made your way over to where Lizzie stood with the Earl.

"Welcome to my estate, Miss," said the young Lord Phantomhive. You glanced between him and Elizabeth, and thought to yourself what a handsome couple they made although they were only children. "I am Ciel, the head of the Phantomhive household. I hope that you'll find your visit an enjoyable experience,"

"Thank you, my Lord," you replied, politely bowing your head to him.  _Still_ you felt eyes trained carefully on you, and still you refused to look back. After all, you had to concentrate on the head of the house.

After a little more conversation, Ciel had Sebastian lead the way to the mansion while he himself walked alongside Elizabeth. You remained on her other side, walking quietly and saying nothing as you went. Sebastian opened the great doors to the house and allowed you all inside, meeting the questioning stare of Ciel and him only. The manor was much warmer than outside and you permitted yourself to breathe outwards in relief and appreciation of the warmth. After coming inside, everything seemed to move quite quickly for a change.

"Allow me to escort you both to the salon," said Ciel, leading you and Elizabeth off to the side of the grand main hall. He opened the door to let you both pass, but you noticed him stop to speak to his butler. Deciding not to eavesdrop, you continued into the room behind Elizabeth and sat down with her, waiting to be joined by the gentlemen.

-

Ciel glared at Sebastian with his visible, bright blue left eye. "What are you staring at her for?"

Sebastian shook his head calmly in denial. "My Lord, I was simply regarding our guest. Nothing more,"

The young Earl continued to glower up at the butler. He could never tell if the demon was lying, no matter how many times he said he didn't lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> This chapter uses some of the dialogue from the Black Butler anime, specifically Season 2, Episode 14 (Welcome to the Phantomhives). Just to clear up the fact that I did not come up with all of the dialogue myself, but most of it I did. If that makes sense...? O_o
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading, and hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	2. Honoured Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After your arrival at the Phantomhive household with Elizabeth, you have discovered that not only does Ciel Phantomhive seem like a personable young man but also that he has a very mysterious and attractive butler in his employ. You sense that there is more to him than meets the eye, a notion you also apply to the Earl, but what happens when you start trying to reach out and make some new friends?

You sat there patiently with Elizabeth--she was bouncing up and down excitedly on the plush sofa--awaiting the return of the Earl and expecting to be joined by Sebastian too. Sitting bolt upright, you found yourself feeling somewhat uncomfortable in such an unfamiliar environment around equally unfamiliar people, with the exception of Elizabeth. She continued to wriggle around impatiently, as Ciel was clearly taking much longer than she would have liked. When he did eventually come into the room, Lizzie was up off the sofa and flinging her arms around him in delight.

It was as though she hadn't already seen him, you thought.

Sebastian entered the room and closed it behind him before standing off to the side so that he could still be ready to receive his master's orders. You dared yourself to glance over at the tall, dark-haired man to see if you could gather any more information about him, but no sooner had you looked than his eyes flicked to you. You looked away promptly and down at your hands in your lap.

Ciel had, by this time, managed to squirm his way out of Lizzie's death grip and send her back to her seat while he made his way to an armchair sitting opposite you both.

"Sebastian, we could do with some tea," he said sitting down, making certain that the command in his remark was heard. Sebastian bowed to the young Earl and, with a respectful 'yes, my Lord', left the room to fetch the refreshments. Once again you could feel somebody watching you, even as Lizzie babbled away--to Ciel--and the Lord of the house listened. You scarcely moved your head to ascertain whose gaze you sensed, knowing already that it would be Ciel's though the reason for which he was examining you, you hadn't the foggiest.

" _What kind of a woman must she be to make Sebastian forget to do his job_?" thought the boy. He continued to study you for a few more minutes while Lizzie chattered incessantly, until he looked back in the direction of the door. Sebastian entered the room once more with a silver tray balanced masterfully in his hand with a rather exquisite tea set on top. The teapot steamed and the teacups hardly clinked or rattled at all upon their saucers as Sebastian moved gracefully across the room towards the three of you. You watched with interest as he set the tray down on the coffee table between the sofa and armchairs, swiftly yet carefully pouring piping hot Earl Grey tea for everyone.

You found yourself staring at Sebastian, though. You didn't even realise you were doing it until his head came up and his eyes locked with yours. You blushed deeply and looked down again. In doing so, you missed the faintest of smirks as it flitted across his lips.

"Your tea, Miss," he said, piercing the silence with his velvety voice. You felt as your face grew hotter but you forced yourself to look up and smile serenely as you had been taught by your mother.

"Thank you, sir," you said, taking the teacup and saucer from him. You realised that thanking people was all that you seemed to be capable of that day. In truth, you couldn't think of anything else to say but thanks really were all you'd come out with.

Sebastian suppressed a smile that would have been more amused than was appropriate for the circumstances. " _Sir_?" he mused. " _How interesting. I could get used to that,_ "

Meanwhile, Ciel was staring at Sebastian with an expression that was much too close to disdain. Sebastian willed himself to ignore the boy but soon found it impossible; the urge to stare defiantly back at him was overwhelming, and eventually it got the better of him. Ciel cleared his throat and turned his attention back to you.

"So, Miss (F/N)," he said with an oddly gentle smile. "How is it that you know Elizabeth?"

You had just taken a sip of tea, finding it to be very good and of outstanding quality, and swallowed quickly in order to answer the Earl. You were interrupted by his fiancée, however.

"Ciel!" she whined. "I told you to call me Lizzie!"

The Earl released the quietest of sighs in response to her objection, and returned his focus to you in anticipation of your reply.

"We met thanks to my parents," you explained. "My parents and Lizzie's are friends, you see, and we met at a ball at my father's estate one evening,"

You retreated back into your seat a little, acutely aware of the fact that this was the most you'd said all day, especially in the Earl's company. You could also feel the presence of Sebastian stood a short distance away, and for some reason it made you extremely bashful. Still you kept your focus ahead and on Ciel; you didn't want to attract Sebastian's attention again by looking at him.

Meanwhile, you felt sure that he had no such reservations about looking at you. You wondered how the rest of your visit was going to pan out, if continuing down this path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovely readers! ^_^
> 
> Thank you for reading! So sorry it takes me so long to get stories started... O_o I did notice that it took a while to get to the point in the first chapter, but if you're reading this then you're here at the end of the second and are therefore fabulous and I love you!
> 
> Aaaaanyway, enough babbling--I hope to see you in the next chapter! :)
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	3. Midnight at the Phantomhive Estate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a slightly awkward late morning spent with Lizzie and Ciel, and Sebastian, you finally started to settle in to better enjoy the afternoon and evening at the Phantomhive Estate. You have met the staff of the house--the trigger-happy chef Baldroy, the innocent yet absurdly strong gardener Finnian, the quiet and rather peculiar steward Tanaka, and the clumsy but good-natured maid, Mey-Rin--and grew immediately fond of them.
> 
> But late in the night, you find yourself much too cold to sleep. What will happen if you take a little walk to get the blood pumping again?

Lying awake, teeth chattering, and staring at the white-washed ceiling was not how you envisioned spending the night at Phantomhive Manor. The embers in the fireplace had long since died down and the room was left in relative darkness and absolute coldness. Only the frosty light of the full moon beyond those walls was cast into the room via a small crack in the curtains at the window. Pondering the best course of action to warm yourself, you were left with but two options.

The first was to curl up in bed and swathe yourself in thick blankets, and try to go back to sleep. The second was to get up and go for a walk to get the blood circulating your body again.

Since your eyelids were showing no signs whatsoever of growing heavy--you were wide-awake--you decided to go for that walk. You had been given a full tour of the premises earlier on in the day, so it wasn't as though you would get lost. At least, you hoped not.

Throwing back the duvet and extra blankets, you slid out of bed and slipped your feet into the slippers you'd left by the side. You headed for the door, leaving the room and leaving said door slightly ajar. Heading down the dimly lit hallway, you realised that there were no sounds at all other than the muffled shuffling of your footfalls in those slippers. You walked while rubbing your arms, patting them vigorously in an attempt to bring back the flow of blood. But even over the sounds of you beating your arms you still managed to hear what you thought was another set of footsteps following you, albeit quietly.

They couldn't fool you. Your hearing was incredibly sharp, like that of a dog, so it wasn't often you got caught out by anyone sneaking up on you. You kept walking for a short distance, until finally stopping beside a window where the light of the moon shone through with enough brightness to illuminate that section of hallway. You peered into the darkness beyond and could just about make out a dark figure coming towards you. You did not find yourself afraid, though.

"Lady (L/N)?" said the figure, coming into the light. You had a feeling it was him, but in your current state of dress you had rather hoped you were wrong. Sebastian stood clear as day before you, not even holding a candle to light the way around the mansion for him.

"Y-yes...?" you replied, shivering with cold. You'd also hoped you wouldn't have to stop moving; the movement was the only thing keeping you warm. With hindsight, you really ought to have brought a dressing gown with you or something, but in honesty to yourself you couldn't remember where you'd put it when you took it out of your luggage.

"What are you doing walking around in your nightdress like this?" he asked with concern. He accompanied it with a lightly scolding tut. "You might catch your death of cold,"

"I'll be f-fine," you insisted, half turning away from him. You folded your arms tightly across your chest to conceal your suddenly erect nipples--aside from being in your nightgown, that most  _certainly_ wasn't something you wanted anyone in the house to see, especially not the impossibly handsome and charming butler. How very uncouth he would think you were. Displaying your body in a thin nightgown, you realised, could be construed as quite vulgar.

Sebastian didn't seem to be fazed by your attire for any other reason than that you were hardly dressed for the weather. "Come now," he said gently. "I can hear your teeth chattering from here. What in the world possessed you to leave your room at this hour?"

You dared yourself to look him in the eyes while answering, and decided that he was far too astute for you to tell a lie to. "I was cold, so...I thought that taking a walk would help to warm me up,"

He smiled but suppressed a chuckle. "What about the fire in your room?" he asked, and then his smile quickly dropped. "It has not gone out, has it?"

"It has..." you mumbled. "But don't worry..." You were about to attempt to reassure him, but he shook his head vigorously.

"No, this is inexcusable. I should never have allowed an honoured guest to suffer in this manner. If you will allow me to enter your sleeping quarters, Miss, I shall rekindle the fire in the fireplace..."

"Very well..." you said, accepting his offer. You didn't know why he was asking your permission to enter your room--it wasn't your house, and even if it was then it wouldn't normally have deterred servants from walking in when they needed to--but perhaps that came from the environment you were used to. "As long as it is no bother,"

"No bother at all, Miss," he said, smiling again. "Please allow me to escort you back to your room; I should hate for you to catch cold,"

"Thank you, sir,"

He glanced at you as he turned around, ready to lead the way back to your quarters. With a smile he said, "You may simply call me 'Sebastian', my dear," and offered you his hand to hold on the short journey back. Again you accepted, and he gently led you all the way back again. Back in the room, he let you go so that you could climb back into bed while he picked up a few logs from the box sitting nearby. There were no matches in the room, so that was why you hadn't relighted the fire yourself, but he produced a box from his inside breast pocket and cast fire upon the tinder. 

When the room was obviously warmer, Sebastian stood up from where he crouched tending to the fire and looked over at you. "Feeling warmer, my Lady?"

"Yes thank you," you said, offering him a small smile. You were still shy, especially now that he was stood in your room. "I am very grateful,"

"I am glad to hear it," he replied with a small sigh of relief. You could see him quite clearly, but only really in terms of his silhouette. He was deep black against the glow of the newly-lit fire, but most outstanding were his eyes--you could see them glowing brightly in the darkness, almost as though they were without a face. Then it dawned on you: you didn't quite know how, but you knew what he was. Did you dare mention it?

"Thank you for showing such  _compassion_ ," you murmured, emphasising the last word just so that it remained gentle and non-accusatory, hinting that you knew of the nature of his existence. He cocked an eyebrow at you, obviously curious about your comment.

"Of course," he said at length and with a smile as charming as all the others. You squirmed slightly under his gaze, so intense as he watched you lying in bed. Vulnerable. "It is my job to provide guests with the highest quality service,"

You nodded your head slightly, knowing perfectly well that he could see you.

"I shall leave you to sleep now, my dear," he said. You noted with interest his use of both respectful titles such as "my Lady" and names that could be considered to be more affectionate like "my dear". It made you curious, more than anything. You could feel your shyness slowly subsiding in his presence, an indicator that you were becoming more accustomed to and familiar with him, although you still barely knew him.

"Goodnight, Sebastian," you said with a little more confidence. "And thank you again,"

"You are most welcome, Lady (L/N)," he said, smiling in the darkness as he reached the door. You might not have been able to see that smile, but you could just about hear it in his voice. The last thing you heard from him was the quiet *click* of the door as he closed it behind him, leaving you in peace. He was so graceful that, when unhurried, his footfalls were all but silent.

After receiving Sebastian's kindness and the warmth from the fire, you finally found yourself growing sleepy once more. Before you knew it, you had fallen into a deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovely readers!
> 
> This has been Chapter Three of this little story, and I'm so glad you've come this far. I guess this means I'm doing something right! As always, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions, and I hope you'll stick around for more!
> 
> \- SooperChicken ^_^


	4. The Night Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter from Sebastian's point of view (more or less), in which his thoughts become known when he sees you meandering the corridors of Phantomhive Manor in nothing but your nightdress and slippers.

Sebastian habitually patrolled the corridors of Phantomhive Manor every night and without fail. After all, what else was he going to do? He didn't sleep, so he might as well keep watch over the house overnight as he did during the day. On the night that (F/N) came to visit, it was a patrol much like any other. Nothing really changed there. Being the person he was, he didn't need the light of any candles to show him the way around the house, but in the earlier hours of the night he carried one in the event that another member of the household spotted him roaming around with nothing to aid him.

He didn't want to arouse any suspicions, after all.

He wandered those halls relatively slowly, black suit allowing him to blend right in with the shadows. Towards the witching hour and the small hours beyond, he never saw anybody walking the halls with him. But tonight was different. Somewhere on that floor, he heard a door creak open ever so slightly. If he hadn't always had such keen hearing, he might have dismissed the noise as one that the house would ordinarily make on its own because it was so very quiet.

But no. It was the unmistakable sound of a door opening somewhere along the corridor and he was compelled to investigate. What he found was very peculiar indeed.

"Lady (L/N)?" he called out, seeing the young friend of Lady Elizabeth ambling along in nothing but a thin nightdress and slippers. She must have been frozen to the core; what on Earth was she doing?

"Y-yes...?" she stammered. Interestingly, she didn't look to be in the least bit afraid of him, not even after coming up behind her so quickly and quietly. At least, he thought that he'd been quiet in his approach. The thought occurred to him that perhaps this human female was in possession of a rather enhanced set of skills, better than those of her peers as examples. But surely not good enough to detect a demon such as himself. It was unfathomable for him, that a human could sense him before he even reached them. She stood there beside the tall window, trembling while bathed in the silvery light of the moon outside.

The first thing that crossed Sebastian's mind was how strikingly beautiful she was in the moonlight. It occurred to him as strange that he would think this all of a sudden, and then he realised that it wasn't so sudden after all. Even his own master had suspected him to have been quite taken with the young woman upon their first meeting. The second thing that came to mind for him was that the girl was trembling not because of any emotion coursing through her veins but because of the bitterness of the night. 

"What are you doing walking around in your nightdress like this?" he'd asked her. His brow was furrowed not only in confusion but also out of concern, although why he was genuinely worried about someone who was not his master he hadn't the foggiest. "You might catch your death of cold," he added while--discreetly--playfully scolding her and tutting.

"I'll be f-fine..." she said through lips pale with cold. She could clearly be an obstinate little thing, he thought. He noticed as she folded her arms carefully across her chest, limbs moving somewhat slower than a person usually would due to the cold gripping them. He knew exactly what she was trying to do, but he wouldn't let on to her that he'd already seen. She was so cold that not only did she have goose-flesh prickling all over her body but the teats of her bosom were manifestly and arousingly raised. He'd willed himself not to stare too much as it was improper and highly inappropriate, but she was ever so pretty, and ever so shapely.

"Come now," he said soothingly. Really, he just needed to say anything that would take the place of shameless flirting and charm. "I can hear your teeth chattering from here. What in the world possessed you to leave your room at this hour?" More than anything, he was waiting to hear her voice again. It was like a melody, like the tinkling of a wind chime or the tune of a songbird. 

She looked him straight in the eyes and finally found the courage to maintain eye contact as she spoke. "I was cold, so...I thought that taking a walk would help me to warm up," she said calmly. She seemed to be shivering less, now. Sebastian found himself honestly feeling glad about that fact.

"What about the fire in your room?" he asked her, suppressing a chuckle but revealing to her an amused grin which vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He had initially been entertained by her thought processes and initiative, to try to help herself before asking others to help her instead. "It has not gone out, has it?"

She looked shyly down at her feet before mumbling her response. "It has..." she said, almost inaudibly. "But don't worry..."

Sebastian cut her off before she could protest any further to what he was clearly thinking. "No, this is inexcusable," he muttered ashamedly. "I should never have allowed an honoured guest to suffer in this manner. If you will allow me to enter your sleeping quarters, Miss, I shall rekindle the fire in the fireplace..."

She nodded ever so slightly and looked straight at him again. He was fascinated by her (E/C) eyes, finding himself capable of getting lost in them despite never having had enough time to do so. "Very well..." she'd said. She looked slightly confused, and he knew exactly what aspect of his behaviour was causing it. The chivalry he displayed towards her was not something that she was used to, and for what it was worth his senses told him that this was the case. It only served to make him want to do it all the more. "As long as it is no bother," she added with haste, inching forward ever so slightly.

"No bother at all, Miss," he replied with a smile. "Please allow me to escort you back to your room; I should hate for you to catch cold,"

"Thank you, sir," she said, affording him what he knew to be great respect from the level that he clearly heard in her voice.

"You may simply call me 'Sebastian', my dear," he told her, smiling gently. He offered her his hand so that he could walk with her. The blush that dusted her cheeks was positively delightful, and he found himself wanting to tease the girl...to trigger an even brighter blush. The short walk back was spent in silence and upon arriving at her chamber he opened the door for her and allowed her in before him, as was proper. He was entering her sleeping quarters, after all.

Sebastian made his way over to the fireplace while (F/N) got back into bed. He couldn't see her, but he could sense where she was in the room. He produced a box of matches from his breast pocket after fetching wood from the nearby storage container and putting it on the fire. When the flames rose in the hearth, dancing before Sebastian's eyes, he stood and turned back to the young noblewoman huddling desperately for warmth under the bedclothes. 

"Feeling warmer, my Lady?" he asked, looking at her through the darkness of the room. The flames provided a little more light for him to see her face--since she was facing the fireplace--but it wasn't as though he needed it. Now illuminated by the glow of the fire rather than the light of the moon, Lady (F/N) was an almost entirely different kind of radiant. He wondered if she was uncomfortable with him standing there, now that he'd done what he offered to do, but he just wanted to study her fine features a little longer. He would have to excuse himself soon, though...

"Yes thank you," she said sweetly, smiling a little. He could see how visibly shy she was. "I am very grateful,"

Sebastian sighed and smiled a little himself. "I am glad to hear it," he said kindly. He continued to look at her from across the room, keeping a safe distance, but upon her face he noticed the slightest change of expression. She looked as though she had either realised or remembered something, and the light of recognition now burned in her eyes. It was curious to say the least.

"Thank you for showing such  _compassion_ ," she murmured, her voice so soft Sebastian was unsure he'd actually heard her. He raised an eyebrow, now ever-more inquisitive about her question in conjunction with her change of expression.

"Of course," he replied courteously, and with ample charm. He was fascinated by this beautiful creature, regardless of her humanity and his lack thereof, and kept his gaze trained fixedly on her. She squirmed slightly, a movement that caught his eye very quickly. He moved his head only marginally as she did, before considering that his intrigue of her--especially in this vulnerable position--was doing nothing to put her at ease. "It is my job to provide guests with the highest quality service,"

He saw her nod in the darkness. She seemed to be at least a little more relaxed now. He took a moment more to take in the details of her face before bowing slightly to her.

"I shall leave you to sleep now, my dear," he said gently. As he turned to leave, and just as he reached the door, he heard her speak out one more time.

"Goodnight, Sebastian," she said. He took immediate notice of her more confident use of his name. He smiled to himself; he liked hearing her say it, even though she'd hardly said it at all. "And thank you again,"

"You are most welcome, Lady (L/N)," He made doubly sure that his voice was as low and charming as ever. He wanted her to feel comfortable, most of all. It may have been his job as the butler of the household, and a representative of the head of the Phantomhives, but he found himself genuinely concerned for the young woman's welfare and comfort. He wasn't sure that he was entirely comfortable himself, with the new feelings stirring within the depths of his blackened and impure soul. He was a demon; he was meant to be indifferent to most things, and immune to real emotion.

As he left the room, closing it with a gentle *click* behind him, he considered what he was going to do for the rest of the night. He'd been somewhat grateful for (F/N)'s distraction, albeit for ten to fifteen minutes--if that--and now he found himself in a listless and unenthusiastic state, blasé and frankly uninspired to continue with his normal duties. He didn't know what to do.

But, as far as admiring the human girl went, he knew he'd have to save that for later.

Sebastian went on his way down the corridor with nothing on his mind but Lady (F/N).

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo readers! ^_^
> 
> Hope you're well! Chapter Four here, and thank you so much for coming this far! You are FABULOUS! I really hope you like what you've been reading so far, and I will continue to make it happen here!
> 
> \- SooperChicken ^_^


	5. The Mysteries of Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian finds himself in a peculiar position, caught somewhere between forced indifference for the sake of his job and a dangerous fascination with a certain human girl. His intrigue only deepens when it becomes apparent that there is also more to her than meets the eye.

Again the sensation of having eyes on you. This time, though, you weren't sure who they belonged to. You had realised quite quickly that, being in such a remote country manor house, new faces were always an oddity and so it was relatively understandable that people would be curious about you. You just wished it wasn't so awkward and uncomfortable being watched so closely.

As you sat there at the table, eating your breakfast with Lizzie and Ciel, you surreptitiously glanced around you to ascertain who your 'watcher' was. The room was grand and well-lit; bright, cold light streamed in through the tall windows from the blue, wintry morning, making everything much easier to see than if it had been a dull morning. You looked at everyone: first Ciel, then Lizzie, then Sebastian stood near the Earl. You even looked at Tanaka who was kneeling on a cushion a short way off, drinking tea. The tiny man--who was not actually always tiny, for some reason--was a source of curiosity for you, but you drew your mind away from that for the time being.

As soon as you'd looked at Tanaka, you felt eyes on you _again_. Without moving your head you quickly looked around to see who it was, but once again nobody seemed to be paying any attention to anyone in particular. You would have shrugged the strange feeling off would it not have been an obvious gesture. You flexed the fingers on both of your hands, wrapped carefully in fashionable dress gloves, to shift the ice in your joints before picking up a scone from your plate. Just as you were about to take a bite of the bread--cut in half and lightly buttered to give it that rich, heavenly taste along with the sweetness--you were overcome with the feeling that you were being observed  ** _again_**.

Your eyes flashed and you looked up--fast. So fast, in fact, that you caught them off-guard. You didn't know how you knew which person to look at but your questioning gaze met Sebastian's somewhat startled one. _He'd_ been watching you...

You held his gaze for a moment longer before looking away. You took a nervous sip of tea, hand trembling slightly as you lifted the teacup to your lips. All kinds of thoughts raced through your head, mainly those asking questions as to why Sebastian had been looking at you. Knowing what he was, you couldn't help feeling slightly unnerved, but at the same time you felt a mild blush creeping up your neck; you weren't sure if it was flattering or not. He wasn't looking at you anymore, you knew, but you wondered what had him so interested in the first place.

You were simply you. You wondered if there was something on your face that had him staring; you discreetly reached up and touched your cheek. There was nothing there.

You didn't see anything more as you focused on Lizzie, who was suddenly gabbling away to Ciel as though it was the last time she would ever get to speak to him, and you no longer felt that you were being studied. You listened intently to what the girl was saying, but eventually you lost track of where she was going with the conversation. You turned back to your tea and sipped daintily at it, making sure not to burn yourself on the hot liquid. You were thankful for that heat, though--the world outside was so cold that  _anything_ that could offer you warmth was a good friend of yours.

Just then, the maid Mey-Rin walked into the dining room carrying a tray of fine crystal champagne flutes. She was on her way to the next room where the flutes' cabinet was located. She held her head up as she walked, seemingly determined to give a good impression, and carried the tray quite well for a person who was apparently rather clumsy. You watched her out of the corner of your eye, and noticed one of her bootlaces trailing on the carpet as she went. As she passed you, she stepped on the errant lace and staggered. The glass flutes clinked against each other, and while she managed to recover most of them one still fell towards the floor.

Your hand shot out and caught it just before it fell beyond your point of reach. The delicate glass stem was pinched between your thumb and index finger, and Mey-Rin stared at you in awe as she turned around, more carefully this time, with the tray in her hands. You placed the flute back on the tray and smiled at her.

"Please don't hurt yourself," you said to her, softening your eyes. Mey-Rin stuttered a thank-you and, against your advice, hurried to the next room to put the glassware away before she could do any more damage. You looked up and saw everyone staring at you in both surprise and interest.

"Oh my," said Lizzie with a short sigh and glittering eyes. "What quick thinking on your part, my dear!" 

You didn't know what to say; you'd always had quick reflexes. It wasn't something that you liked to brag about. In fact, most of the time you forgot that you could even be that fast. Or astute, for that matter. But apparently, your senses were sharp and always ready to make you react.

"Yes, quite..." mused Ciel. He remained silent for a few more moments, before glancing over his shoulder at Sebastian who continued to stare at you in total surprise. "I would speak with you in my office after breakfast, Sebastian,"

"Yes, my Lord..."

His eyes never left you.

-

After breakfast, Sebastian followed Ciel to his office. The young Earl did not go straight to his seat as usual, but stood in the centre of the room to confront his butler.

"You saw what Lady (L/N) did, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir," said Sebastian, retaining his composure. Of all the things about you that fascinated him, he never thought that in just one day you could come up with something new to enrapture him with. Your reaction to the falling glass was almost as fast as his would have been, were he not on the other side of the table. "Quite remarkable, wasn't it?"

"I'll say," muttered the Earl. "Is she one of you?" he then inquired, getting straight to the point of why he had summoned Sebastian to his private office. The butler gave him a startled look, one that immediately suggested the answer that he would give.

"No, sir," he replied with honesty. As always. "I, myself, thought this might be the case but alas she is not. She is assuredly human,"

"She is not even a Reaper?" growled Ciel, now paranoid that his newest guest could possibly be concealing her true identity. He had seen it once before, with Grell Sutcliff. He had passed for a human, once. The Earl didn't like to recall those times.

"No, sir," Sebastian repeated himself, shaking his head slightly from side to side. His black hair caressed his cheeks ever so slightly as he did so. "I would have found out about that by now if she was,"

Ciel clearly wasn't entirely convinced yet but he seemed to relax a little. He thought back to you and Lizzie, who had been left to your own devices in the salon under the supervision of Tanaka. He was the most harmless of all the servants there at the Phantomhive Estate, therefore the most trusted one to keep an eye on guests. "Very well then," said the boy, walking over to the window. "I have another question for you,"

Sebastian didn't respond this time, knowing that the question would come regardless. He knew exactly what the boy was going to ask. The demon slightly narrowed his red eyes at the back of the Earl's head.

"Why are you so interested in her?"

Sebastian smiled to himself, lowering his head so that Ciel wouldn't see if he turned around at that moment. "She is interesting," he said simply. "There is nothing more to it, sir," The more he thought about it, though, the less he believed his own words. Of course, your quick response to Mey-Rin's incompetence had been surprising to say the least but it made him suspect that you may have been in possession of more than just quick reflexes.

Ciel harrumphed as though he didn't believe him either. "Well stop it," he said harshly. "You're spooking her. At this rate, she may never want to come back..." As he said this, Sebastian looked up and saw the young man smirk over his shoulder at him. He knew exactly what that meant; Ciel knew that for you to come back to the estate was precisely what Sebastian wanted.

The butler smirked back at his master. "Don't make assumptions, my Lord," he chuckled.

-

Meanwhile, you were sitting in the salon with Lizzie talking about all sorts of girly things. You were still not used to the kind of social life that she was, but she was determined to introduce it to you in the same way that she had been. After a while, Ciel returned to the room to join you with Sebastian in tow.

"I apologise for my absence," said the Earl as he came nearer. "There was just some...business to attend to briefly,"

"Not to worry!" said Lizzie cheerfully. "We were just having a chat until you came back!"

"You're _always_ having a chat, Elizabeth," sighed Ciel, but you couldn't deny that there was affection for her in the way he said it. He sat down nearby and proceeded to engage you both in conversation. The fireplace a short distance away on the other side of the room emitted a soft, orange glow and equally comforting warmth. As you conversed, Sebastian excused himself for a few minutes. You didn't know where he was going, but you felt a strange feeling bubble up inside you.

It felt like disappointment.

Why were you disappointed? You couldn't help but wonder, but there was little time for pondering as you were pulled back into the little discussion going on in front of you.

Some time passed and, before you knew it, it was time for you and Lizzie to return to your homes. Where had that time gone? You'd finally found yourself feeling less awkward in the company of new people and in someone else's home, and now you found yourself reluctant to leave. As you gathered your belongings and made your way out to the idling carriage, you took one more look up at the great mansion. Ciel walked down the steps to bid you and Lizzie farewell...for now, he said. Sebastian stood just behind the boy, almost sentinel-like in appearance. He clearly served as more than just the Phantomhive butler.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Lord Phantomhive," you said, bowing to the head of the house. He smiled gently at you.

"You are welcome here any time," he said, bowing back. "It has been a pleasure,"

You smiled and turned back to the carriage, and saw that Lizzie had already jumped inside after saying goodbye to Ciel. You were about to climb in after her, but you felt somebody take your hand.

"Please, Miss. Allow me," The smooth, charming voice of Sebastian rang out from behind you as he held your hand, helping you into the vehicle.

"T-thank you," you stammered, not expecting anyone to help you at that moment. He said no more, but smiled gently as you sat down inside. He bowed deeply before closing the door as gently as he'd smiled. Just before the carriage started to move away, you caught Sebastian's eye one last time. This time, his expression was different to how it had been before; it was more intense, as though he was expecting something.

What that was, you had no idea. But you still felt as though you were personally missing something as the carriage rolled down the long driveway, and the mansion grew smaller and smaller.

Ciel and Sebastian watched the carriage retreating down the driveway, until the sound of its wheels on the stones were drowned out by the--albeit soft--winter breeze. The latter found himself hoping that it would return very soon, with the very same occupants as it had during this particular visit.

How could he  _not_ hope for your return one day? You were absolutely enchanting, after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people!
> 
> Thank you for reading the next instalment of this story! Working on the next chapter already, should be up soon! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	6. Your Domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your father has decided to host a ball at your own estate, and among the various other guests invited are Elizabeth Midford and Ciel Phantomhive. Lizzie has, of course, brought her maid Paula with her, so it stands to reason that Ciel brought Sebastian. How will the social event play out with such a handsome distraction in your own home?

"Mother, where are we going?" you asked, following her down the corridor.

"We're going to get you all dressed up for tonight!" she replied cheerily. She grabbed your wrist and pulled you into the dressing room, the one that she normally used--yours was a few doors away, next door to your bedroom.

"What? What's happening tonight?" you gabbled, suddenly nervous. Why would your mother want to spruce you up even more than she generally tried to of an average day?

"Your father has decided to host a ball, darling," said your mother, stopping you in front of the full-length mirror. "We have to make you the belle!"

" _Oh God..._ " you thought, wincing a little. To be the belle of any ball was not at the top of your agenda, seeing as receiving too much attention had a tendency to make you feel awkward; not that you were particularly suave in social situations anyway. You told your mother this, stating your opinion.

"Oh, don't be silly, sweetheart!" gushed your mother. "You ought to have more confidence in yourself! While it may be true that you haven't been to many of these gatherings, you must not see what other people see..."

"What do you mean, Mother?"

"Well, everyone is full of compliments for you, you know," she replied, pulling one of the decorative pins out of your (H/C) hair and letting it tumble down out of the bun you had it styled in. "You might not feel very...artful in these situations, but let me assure you, my child, that you can be most impressive when you aren't trying so hard,"

You were very surprised to hear this, having assumed that you were better off staying out of these sorts of events. You allowed your mother to faff around a little with your hair before she finally moved away to the ornate armoire on the west side of the room. You watched her in the mirror as she moved beautiful dresses of various colours along the rung inside. "Hmm..." you heard her mutter, clearly trying to decide which dress would look best on you. You worried that she was going to make you try them all, until finally she cried out a triumphant "Ah-ha!" and pulled one of the dresses out of the armoire.

"Mother, it's..."

"Beautiful?"

"Well, yes but it's red...Don't you think that's a bit bold for me?"

"Not even slightly!" she insisted with a smile on her face. The more time you spent with your mother the more comparisons you made between her personality and Lizzie's. It made you smile. "Now come. Let's get you out of that day dress and into this one! You'll look absolutely ravishing!"

You sighed and complied with your mother's wishes. You had your own maid, of course, but whenever preparation for these sorts of big events was underway she liked to be the one to doll you up. She dressed you, did your make-up, styled your hair, everything. She just loved it.

The usual beautification rituals ensued, with your mother turning around so that you could change your corset to a nicer one--a black one with black lace--and then back to you so that she could tighten it. As she pulled on the laces, making the garment tighter, you felt that familiar, uncomfortable pressure on your ribs. You would have to put up with it though.

"So..." you gasped as she yanked on the laces again. "Who will be in attendance this evening?"

"Lord Oswald and his family, Lord Chamber the Viscount of Druitt, Lady Mackintosh, Countess of Yate, Lady Midford..."

"Elizabeth?" you said, interrupting her suddenly.

"Yes, and her fiancé Earl Phantomhive..."

"Oh, goodness...!" you gasped, but not because of how tight your corset now was. Your mother had left you alone now and was preparing to help you into your dress. "Lizzie took me to meet Earl Phantomhive a couple of weeks ago..."

"I know," giggled your mother. "That is partly why your father sent him an invitation,"

"Why else did he send one?"

"Because your father's business and the Earl's are partners," she replied, lifting the dress and putting it over your head. You felt like you were being kidnapped, with a sack being put over your head. Albeit a silky red sack. "Stand still and I'll fix your dress, dear,"

You did as you were told and pondered what your mother had just told you. You hadn't known that your father worked with Ciel; your father's business must have been the supplier of manufacturing materials for the Funtom Company, Ciel's business. You felt your mother bustling around you, straightening the hem of the dress now that it covered you fully. The sleeves were very tight fitting but not uncomfortable, and the colour was ruby red. It was beautiful, but you didn't know if it suited you yet...You looked at yourself in the mirror when your mother finished tweaking it.

"There! Don't you look wonderful?!" she said praisingly. "I knew you would!"

You looked yourself up and down and agreed that the dress did, in fact, flatter your figure. It was much better than what you would have chosen to wear to the ball that evening. And much more daring. It was an off-shoulder dress, fully exposing your shoulders, and the bust was--quite frankly--rather mature. Black lace ruffles decorated the skirt at the front and gave you a much more sophisticated air. Your mother had given you some black shoes to wear, with higher heels than what you were used to. You put them on, and just as you stood she clipped a black necklace around your neck. It was comprised of a multitude of glittering black beads and the biggest one of all hung at the bottom, in the centre of your chest.

"You're almost ready..." said your mother.

-

An hour later you anxiously waited in your room for the right moment to arrive at the ball taking place in the main hall of your house. You could hear people talking and music playing, but the thought of joining them scared the life out of you. You weren't sure what to do, but that was when you heard Lizzie's voice happily laughing above everyone else's. At least she was there, you thought. Your young friend would assuredly give you the courage to go downstairs.

You rose from where you sat on your bed and made your way towards the staircase. It wasn't long before you stood there at the top, able to see everything going on down below. Taking a deep breath, you examined your surroundings--everything from the golden light emitted from the chandeliers to the pristine marble floors and opulent rugs, the beautiful women in their beautiful dresses and the handsome men and the décor and...

You found yourself getting overwhelmed and shook your head. There was no time for this; you had to make your parents proud, at least. No matter how timid you were. Your parents were the Marquess and Marchioness...You couldn't let them down like this. You lifted your skirts slightly, and put one foot on the first step down.

As soon as you were at the bottom, everything became your worst nightmare...Everyone turned to look at you. Of course, the gazes were not ones of scrutiny but they made you uncomfortable all the same. Was your lipstick smudged? Your hair out of place? Were you even blushing too much? All of these thoughts raced through your mind as you attempted to walk into the throngs of merrymakers. Just then, somebody lightly grabbed your arm and pulled you to their side. You looked up and saw your father, the Marquess (L/N).

"F-Father...!" you stuttered. "What are you doing?"

"Hush, bumblebee," he whispered, calling you the name he'd used for you since you were just a tot. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" he announced, his booming and assertive voice ringing out above everything else, even the music. Everyone stopped moving and talking and looked at him, clearing a circle around him so that he could make his speech. "Welcome to the (L/N) Estate! My family and I are honoured to have so many of you in attendance tonight. We sincerely hope that you have an excellent time here this evening!" 

You marvelled at your father's way with words. He didn't often have to say much, but the way in which he said it always seemed to enthrall people. As you looked around, everyone was smiling and applauding your father. As your eyes scanned the crowd, you spotted Lizzie standing among them with her bright blonde curls stood next to the young Earl Phantomhive. He was strikingly dark in comparison to his fiancée but that was alright, because it suited him well.

And there, stood just behind the Earl, was Sebastian. You smiled at all three of them, but found yourself looking straight at the butler. He held your gaze for as long as you prolonged eye contact. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

When the crowd dispersed, Lizzie came barrelling over to you at top speed, assaulting you with a sudden--oddly powerful--hug. "Oh, (F/N),  _there_ you are!" she squealed, kissing your cheeks in greeting. "I didn't think you'd be coming, but here you are!"

"Elizabeth, let the poor girl go," sighed Ciel, arriving at Lizzie's side. "I'm very sorry, Miss (F/N), please excuse her. This is a lovely house that your family has,"

You smiled and, as Lizzie released you from her death grip, took your friend's hand instead to appease her. "Thank you very much, Lord Phantomhive," you said, courteously dipping your head to him. "Your kind words do me great honour,"

"Not at all," said the young man, smiling. Again, it seemed like something that belonged on his face but you knew it seldom showed. "Sebastian, where are you?" he called over his shoulder.

You looked beyond the Earl to see his butler stood a respectful distance away. He seemed to have been staring into space until his master addressed him, but you knew better than that. He would have been looking at something in particular, you just didn't know what. It could have been anything; this was the enigmatic Sebastian Michaelis, after all. When he realised that the young lord wanted him to be nearer, he walked forward a few paces and arrived at his side.

"Don't go too far," Ciel warned him, regarding him with a hard look. "Aleistor Chamber is here, after all. He may try to steal Lizzie...or Miss (F/N), here,"

You laughed, a little nervously, and looked across the ballroom at the striking blonde man in the crisp white suit. Clearly he took great care of his personal appearance. Anyone else might have gotten such an immaculate ensemble dirty already. Not that your family home was dirty or anything. "Steal?" you repeated with curiosity. "Whatever do you mean, sir?"

"The Viscount of Druitt has been known in the past to take off with beautiful young ladies such as yourself and partake in more...subterranean activities," said Sebastian suddenly, answering your question ahead of Ciel. The boy glared at him, but said nothing. Your expression turned to one of shock.

"Why hasn't he been arrested?" you asked, lowering your voice to a concerned whisper. "Surely this makes him a dangerous man...?"

Sebastian chuckled. "He's quite harmless, really. Just a fool,"

You nodded, comprehending what he was saying. It then occurred to you what he had said to you just moments earlier. " _The Viscount of Druitt has been known in the past to take off with beautiful young ladies such as yourself_ ," You felt the blush creeping up your body again and your eyes grew wide, realising that in  _this_ dress a blush would be much more obvious. It could only be more obvious if you were wearing a gown of pure white.

"So, my dear, where in the world did you get such a beautiful dress?!" gabbled Lizzie, stroking the velvety right sleeve of your outfit. "You're so very beautiful, like a real lady! And the colour really brings out the colour of your eyes!"

You really did blush then. Your parents were nowhere to be seen for the purpose of a quick escape, so you just had to stand there and turn scarlet in the face. "T-thank you very much, Lizzie. You look very beautiful too,"

"Teehee!" she giggled. "Thank you, dear, but you are the belle of the ball here!" she added. "Don't you think so, Ciel and Sebastian?"

You felt as though your face was going to conflagrate in the most spectacular fashion; not only was your mind running at a hundred miles per hour thinking about how Sebastian had managed to compliment you so discreetly, but now Lizzie was asking for his  _agreement_ that you looked good that evening. You were pretty sure that you had ceased to exist when you heard the two gentlemen's replies.

"Of course," said Ciel. "You are very lovely,"

Sebastian smiled a little before he spoke his mind. "As always,"

"O-oh my..." you stammered. "Thank you..."

As you said this, the music changed and Ciel looked at Elizabeth with a slightly different expression to before. He looked as though he had something in mind that Lizzie would absolutely love, and he knew it. He held out his hand to her and said, "Lizzie, may I have this dance?"

She was silent for a moment but her eyes shone the entire time. "Of course!" she blurted in her happiness, taking Ciel's outstretched hand. He pulled her closer to him and they twirled out onto the dance floor. You were left--alone--with Sebastian.

"Finally he takes the initiative..." he sighed, watching his master leading the dance with Elizabeth. "He objected so fiercely to dance lessons,"

You chuckled, feeling more comfortable around guests in your own house. You would have been much quieter had the ball been held at any other establishment. "You don't say?" you commented, watching Ciel dancing with Lizzie, a girl who couldn't have looked more gleeful if she tried. "He makes it look natural,"

"Well, I should hope so. Or else all of my hard work would have been for nothing," Sebastian laughed quietly. He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye; against his demonic nature, he couldn't get enough of the sight of you in that dress. You were more exquisite than anything he'd ever laid eyes on before.

" _You_ taught the Earl to dance?" you said, with evident surprise in your voice.

"You don't believe me?" chuckled the butler. When you didn't respond--out of being tongue-tied rather than doubtful--he smiled and bowed to you, offering you a gloved hand. "Then perhaps the lovely Lady (L/N) would grant this lowly butler a dance also?"

Suppressing any further blushes, you modestly accepted Sebastian's request. You didn't know much about social norms and what was acceptable in these social circles but you could argue that it was for the sake of maintaining your father's relationship with the Funtom Company.

But you didn't really believe that.

Your heart started to beat harder than ever before, something you'd had little experience with in the past. He was much taller than you and you felt oddly safe, even though you knew what he was. You were sure that if he didn't want you to feel safe there was no way you could have in his presence. But he was the true natural in the ballroom. He moved with such grace, such fluidity and such synchronicity with the music that it was almost as though he'd composed the piece himself. You hadn't had much experience with dancing but with Sebastian it wasn't necessary; he led you through the steps with ease and made it look as though you'd been dancing your entire life.

You dared yourself to look up at him and saw that he'd apparently been watching you the entire time. He smiled his usual charming smile as you met his gaze.

" _She's blushing again...How adorable,_ " he thought, unbeknown to you.

As you danced, you happened to pass by Lizzie and Ciel, the former of whom grinned joyfully at you. You were certain that she would've waved had Ciel not had hold of one of her hands and had her other not been on his shoulder. You knew how that girl loved parties and all the dancing.

You thought about it less and less as the dancing continued, Sebastian leading you smoothly around the ballroom as though you were dancing on air. However, certain small details of the dance crossed your mind and made your entire body heat up with a new feeling you'd never experienced before. First was how gently Sebastian held your hand; his was so large in comparison to yours that his fingers could wrap all the way around. Second was how firm and  _real_ he felt, with you being able to just sense how strong he was simply by having your other hand on his shoulder. Third was how naturally his other hand seemed to fit your waist; it felt like a lock and key. Like it was supposed to be there.

" _Stop overthinking it. It's just a dance,_ " you scolded yourself. That was until you felt the hand on your waist pull you slightly closer to him. _"_ _N-now what_ _?!"_ you thought, suddenly wondering how on Earth you were going to cope with being so close to this fine specimen of a man. Your chest almost touched his now, he'd pulled you so close to him.

"Are you alright, my dear?" he murmured, smiling at you. You looked at him as he said this, and noticed that it was more of a saucy smirk that he wore on his face. Almost as though something amused him.

"I-I'm fine, thank you..." you said falteringly. "I'm just not used to this,"

"Not to worry," he replied. "I think you're doing very well; it would be nice to have someone as skilled as you to dance with all the time,"

Your chest tightened up at his words and you almost choked on your own pulse. Your heart pounded thunderously in your ears and for a moment you thought that it would drown out the melody floating on the warm ballroom air. "O-oh...!" you bleated as he suddenly put both hands on your waist and picked you up, turned you around briefly, then continued to dance. Apparently that was one of the more abnormal steps of the dance. You considered the very real possibility that your face was probably painted crimson at this juncture.

"See? Your grace is positively swan-like," he said, pulling you back to him. You could tell from the crescendo in the music that the piece was nearing its end, and you felt the unmistakable pang of disappointment throb in your chest. Again, it felt much too soon.

When the music ended, Sebastian gently--reluctantly--let you go. Without a word, he bowed and then took your hand, bringing it to his lips. The kiss was so soft that you had almost not felt it, but you watched him as he made the chivalrous gesture. As he kissed you, he closed his eyes, but just as it ended he opened them again and looked you straight in the eyes.

"Thank you for the dance, my Lady," he said, before respectfully taking his leave to afford you some space. Lizzie came running up to you as Sebastian returned to Ciel. You couldn't really hear what  _anyone_ was saying; your thoughts had been consumed in their entirety by the heady romantic atmosphere. At least, it seemed that way, anyway.

Ciel looked up at his butler as he joined him at his side. "A bold move, asking the daughter of a Marquess to dance," he remarked, with hardly any expression on his face. All of the expression was in his voice.

Sebastian grinned. "I couldn't resist," he chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!
> 
> I hope Chapter Six was to your liking, lovely readers! Working on Chapter Seven already, so stay tuned! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	7. Too Close For Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your dance with Sebastian has left you reeling and your mind in a different place entirely. You're flustered and all out-of-sorts, and you can't get him out of your thoughts. But there is still an entire evening ahead of you, and you have to keep up appearances. Who will be your next dance partner?

Lizzie stopped one of your household's servants as he passed by carrying a tray with glasses of lemonade on it. She took two glasses and gave one to you, smiling at the servant and thanking him before he went on his way. By the time she'd turned back to you, you had just about managed to shift your thoughts away from Sebastian and to the tasks at hand. First on your list was to keep Lizzie amused for a while.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were such a good dancer?!" she babbled, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. You didn't quite know what to do with her at this stage, so you just smiled awkwardly and let her keep talking. "I think you made some of the ladies here more than just a little bit jealous, you know!"

"Oh...Really?" you said, crossing one arm over your body and rubbing your other arm with your hand. "I didn't really notice...and I'm not a very good dancer,"

"Oh yes you are!" giggled Lizzie. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone dance so well,"

"I think that was all thanks to Sebastian..." you murmured. "He was leading me all the time...I wouldn't know what to do otherwise,"

Lizzie put the hand that wasn't holding her lemonade on her hip and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at you. She continued to grin like a happy child, but you could see behind her eyes that there was further interest directed at you on the subject of your up-close-and-personal dance with the Phantomhive butler. She said no more though, for she was suddenly interrupted by an oddly familiar voice. 

"My, my...What do we have here?" said the man approaching them. "A pretty little goldfinch and...a beautiful bird of paradise, surely?" He said, first looking to Lizzie and then at you. 

"U-um..." you began, trying to ascertain what he meant. You recognised this man now as the Viscount of Druitt, Aleistor Chamber. You couldn't mistake that golden hair and stark white suit. His deep purple eyes bore into you, as though searching your soul. "How can we help you, sir?"

He smiled and gently took your hand in his, kissing it gently. It was the opposite hand to the one that Sebastian had kissed. "The beautiful daughter of the Marquess..." he said, in almost sycophantic tones of voice. "You are even more captivating in person,"

You looked to Lizzie for help and she shrugged, smiling a little less confidently now. You turned back to the Viscount and offered him a smile. "You're too kind..." you said, just as he took a step closer. He was so near to your person now that he was practically stood in your personal bubble of space.

"Not at all, my love," he crooned. "Would you do me the honour of accompanying me in this dance?"

You didn't feel as though you had very much choice in the matter; this man was rather charming but at the same time you couldn't help sensing a certain...pressure behind his request. You complied and he smiled, leading you out into the centre of the ballroom as Sebastian had. Once again everyone's hands went in the same places and the waltz began; Chamber was a good dancer but nowhere near as good as Sebastian. But maybe that was because you were still concentrating on how wonderful that particular dance was. Fortunately for you, the Viscount did not attempt to make conversation with you, but less fortunately he continued to gaze at you as you danced, seemingly unable to take his eyes off your visage.

The dance seemed significantly longer than the one with Sebastian had, but that stood to reason--perhaps. You thought it was unlikely that the music piece had lasted longer than those previously, but you considered that it most probably had something to do with the fact that you had secretly been enjoying yourself in the company of the Phantomhive butler. No matter his demonic existence.

Chamber kissed your hand again before letting you go completely, but still walked back to the side of the ballroom with you. You wondered what his incentive was.

"So, my darling, do you enjoy many of these parties of your father's?" he asked, leaning in a little too closely. You leaned backwards ever so slightly, putting a little distance between you.

"Oh, my father seldom hosts these kinds of events..." you told him honestly. "He is the kind of man who attends other social events rather than hosting them," You hoped that a concise explanation would be sufficient for him, but it seemed he was intent on engaging you in a conversation.

"I see..." he said, seemingly mulling it over in his mind. "Then perhaps he could bring you with him to some of these little shindigs...I, for one, would very much like to see you again,"

You didn't really know what to say to that, so you just uttered a girly giggle to satisfy the silence between talking until you could at least think of something to say. "You flatter me, sir," you said at length, at a loss for any other words. His mannerisms were shamelessly flirtatious yet there was a distinct upper-class air about the way he executed his behaviours. It really was quite peculiar, you thought.

On the other side of the room, you hadn't noticed anybody watching you this time. Perhaps because there were so many others around you. Sebastian was glaring hotly at Chamber, willing him to step away from you. Of course, there was nothing he could do about the Viscount's closeness to you...Not without causing a scene, anyway, and he couldn't humiliate Ciel like that.

He felt completely lost.

"How does seeing that make you feel, Sebastian?" chuckled the boy, clearly in an antagonistic frame of mind.

The butler grimaced and seriously considered ignoring his master. It wasn't as if he'd ordered him to give an answer. He gave one anyway. "I do not  _feel_ anything, young Master," he said, lying through his teeth. Ordinarily he wouldn't lie to Ciel about anything, but affairs of the heart were not something he was willing to discuss with him. After all, demonic desires were a far cry from anything a human could feel.

In thinking that, he felt a pang of regret in his chest. Did that mean that _you_ would never understand how he felt? Were  _you_ capable of such profound longing?

He didn't know. What he  _did_ know was that he wanted to do something unspeakably violent to Chamber for trying to seduce you. Such savage impulses did not normally sway Sebastian, but now it was all he could think of. Ciel could apparently see it written all over his face.

"Calm yourself," growled the Earl, knowing exactly what Sebastian was thinking for once. He didn't need to know if the demon felt anything for any human; what he did know was that he needed Sebastian to restrain himself and maintain his composure, for the sake of the contract at most.

Ciel looked across the room at where Sebastian was glowering and admitted that Chamber's behaviour was shameful indeed. For the first time in a long time, Ciel felt pity. For you, putting up with Chamber's advances.

Meanwhile, you were still trying to think of a way to excuse yourself, if only temporarily. At least if you were gone a short while the Viscount might move on and find somebody else to pester. Charming though he was, you couldn't help feeling slightly backed into a corner with him. It was like he wanted something.

Just as the conversation appeared to offer a break amid the talking, you suddenly thought of something to say to get away for a little while. You suppressed a shudder as the man--yes, discreetly but you still caught him--looked you up and down. You wanted to cover your chest but there was nothing to accomplish this with. "I do apologise, sir, but I must go and...powder my nose," you said with a sheepish grin. He grinned back at you and chuckled, knowing what you meant.

"Of course, my little song thrush," he murmured. "Do not worry yourself," He watched you as you left his side, heading for the stairs and then for your private bathroom. Sebastian and Ciel also watched you go.

"I trust that man as far as I can throw him," growled Ciel, now eyeing the Viscount of Druitt with great suspicion.

"He is a devious cur, indeed," muttered Sebastian with much disapproval.

Unknown to them, on the other side of the room Chamber was indeed thinking devious thoughts. _"_ _Any minute now, my beauty,"_

-

In the bathroom you stood in front of the mirror over the basin, powdering your nose as you had said you would. You didn't know how much longer you would be able to use it as an excuse to stay away but you kept powdering away anyway. Just as you put the puff back in its little box, pushing it back towards the wall under the mirror, you felt a wave of fatigue suddenly wash over you.

"What in the world--?" you muttered, just before the whole world went dark. The last thing you remembered was a thud, which you presumed was you hitting the floor.

-

By the time you awoke, you were in a completely unfamiliar place. You felt groggy and your head was spinning. You had double-vision and that vision was blurry at best. You could hardly see anything at all but you felt sure that you were in some kind of room in a house. All was still and quiet. Nothing gave you any clues as to where you could be.

And then someone spoke to you.

"Alone at last, my darling..." he hummed, coming close to your ear. You felt a gloved hand gently caressing your hair, gliding smoothly over the (H/C) strands. The small hairs all over your body stood on end as you managed to place who the voice belonged to.

"Lord Chamber...?" you murmured, attempting to turn your head to look at him. Your head hurt pretty badly, so you stopped trying. Besides, you wouldn't have seen much with vastly impaired vision.

"Shh, my love..." he whispered in a sickeningly sweet tone. "You're safe here with me. You've nothing to worry about,"

"Where am I? I want to go back to the ball...!" you gabbled, beginning to panic. To go back to a ball wasn't something you'd ever thought you would want, but you found yourself desperate for the company of your friends and your parents. "Please let me go..."

"Oh, my little song thrush..." he mumbled, stroking your cheek with his finger. "Please don't say things you don't mean. What a sinful little bird you are...inflaming my passions with such wild abandon,"

"What are you talking about, sir?"

"Come, my love, we can do anything! Let us run away to paradise!" he declared dramatically.

"How did I get here?" you asked timidly. You weren't sure that you wanted to know the answer.

"Ah...Perhaps your lemonade was...subpar compared to everyone else's..." said Chamber with a sly wink.

He'd spiked your drink while you hadn't been looking! You shook your head in disbelief. There was no way your parents would stand for substandard assets at a party; therefore it must have been the Viscount's design.

You tried to move in your seat but found that you were bound with something and tied to the chair. You whimpered in fear, wondering what he was going to do to you. You remembered what Sebastian had said, about Chamber taking young women to engage in "subterranean activities". You were afraid to think of what that could entail.

-

"Ciel!" cried Lizzie, hurrying over to her young fiancé. "Sebastian!"

"What's the matter?" said Ciel, looking her over as though she had gone mad.

"I can't find (F/N) anywhere...She's vanished,"

Ciel looked up at Sebastian as soon as Lizzie told him what she knew. Sebastian's expression grew dark, like a thundercloud, and his red eyes flashed fuchsia as they often did when something affected him more drastically than everyday occurrences did. Fortunately, Lizzie did not see this.

"Sebastian...Where is Chamber?" Ciel asked him with a note of apprehension.

"He isn't here," growled the butler with anger.

"Well then find them both!" snapped the Earl.

Sebastian didn't need telling twice. He didn't even need telling once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dearies!
> 
> Hope you've been enjoying this story so far! This was Chapter Seven of 'Sheer Magnetism', so I hope it was to your liking! Trying to post as many chapters as possible this evening because there's a chance I might not be able to do much this weekend (I'm away), but with luck it'll be enough to keep you going! ;D
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	8. Search and Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been kidnapped and you don't know how you're going to get out of this situation. The Viscount of Druitt has gone too far and all you want to do is go home. But you didn't count on someone coming to rescue you, and you certainly didn't count on that person...not being a person.

As your eyesight returned to normal, you saw that you were indeed inside a house. The glow from the gas streetlamps outside could be seen through the window in front of you, and as you looked around some more you realised that you were in fact in a relatively populated area. Why would Chamber bring you to a town or city? Surely that was too risky...

Details that your eyes took in included the fact that you were still in the lovely dress your mother had given you, and that you were in a bedroom of all places. There was a large four-post bed near to where he had you sitting, with deep navy linens to match the navy upholstery in the room. Even the carpet and wallpaper was dark. The only light in the room came from a small bedside lamp and the streetlights outside. You wriggled where you sat, desperately trying to free your wrists. Chamber hadn't restricted the movement of your legs, perhaps because he trusted that you wouldn't kick him if he came near you.

At this point in time, you wouldn't have put it past yourself to deliver him a swift boot to the shin...or wherever you could catch him.

He didn't say anything but could see that you were visibly distressed. Your cheeks were stained red with the stress you were under and your efforts to free yourself. You didn't know what made him change his mind, but he suddenly untied your wrists and allowed you your freedom.

"I trust that you will not hurt me, my darling," he said gently. "This is why I am letting you move,"

You thought it best to thank him for his...courtesy and so you did. "Why have you kidnapped me?" you asked, attempting to appeal to his morals by giving him a doleful, big-eyed look that intended to beseech him.

"Kidnapped?" he repeated, almost sounding offended. "Oh my, no! I  _freed_ you, my beloved! Now we can be together!"

You didn't know how to respond to that and so you simply moved away from him and sat on the edge of the bed, a surface that was far more comfortable than the chair he'd put you in. You buried your head in your hands and refused to look at him, completely dismayed by his actions. You didn't want to talk; you just wanted to be left alone until it became clear that you wanted nothing to do with any of this. But of course, that was never going to deter him. You were far too lovely.

"My dear, please be happy..." he said imploringly, sitting down next to you on the bed. This made you nervous. "I do so want you to be happy. What can I do to make it so?"

"Please take me home to my family..." you begged him. "Please..."

He only looked at you sadly and stroked your cheek again. "Give it time," he whispered. "You'll come around eventually, I'm sure," Just as you thought that this was all he had to say, he leaned in and kissed your cheek before standing and moving over to the window. You shivered uncomfortably and touched the spot where his lips had been. You had another question for him, but you didn't know if it was the right time for that...Then again, it might take his attention away from what he'd just done.

"Why did you bring me to a town?" you asked. "Surely you will be found more easily,"

He turned around and looked you straight in the eye, smiling as he did so. You had a feeling that he wasn't going to lie to you about anything you wanted to know, whether it was the answer you wanted to hear or not. At least there was that honesty. "We are hiding in plain sight," he said seriously. "They won't think to look right under their noses,"

 _"Or at least you'd like to think not,_ " you thought to yourself. Then, speaking aloud, you said, "Well then I suppose you had better hope that we aren't found. I wouldn't like to consider what my father might do when he finds out that this has happened,"

"Don't worry, my song thrush; we won't be found," he said, almost as if trying to reassure  _you_. He was a peculiar man, you couldn't help thinking.

You hoped that someone  _would_ find you, and soon...

-

It seemed like hours had passed since you had been kidnapped by Chamber. You were terrified that your parents hadn't even noticed your absence at the party. Surely it would be over by now...

Chamber was still looking out of the window, watching the carriages go by in the road below. You couldn't believe his patience, but you supposed that he was just keeping watch for anyone searching for you. If he was feeling paranoid it was understandable.

After a little while longer, he spoke up. "So where would you like to go, my love? I can take you anywhere you desire," He turned around again and came over to you, smiling kindly. You knew there was more to it than that, but you also wondered how many other women he'd kidnapped in the name of 'love'.

Just as you were about to answer, someone interrupted you. And it was not Chamber.

 _"You_  can go anywhere you like...alone," 

Your head snapped up at the familiar voice and saw the person it belonged to. You knew you would be happy to see him again, whenever that may have been, but in this situation you were positively thrilled.

"Earl Phantomhive's butler...?" muttered Chamber in disbelief. "But how did you--?"

"It wasn't hard," growled Sebastian. "You ran to the middle of a city,"

You wanted to run over and hug him but restrained yourself, of course. Your heart pounded harder as he looked at you.

"Are you alright, Miss (F/N)? He did not hurt you, did he?"

"No..." you said, voice barely louder than a breath. You shook your head to accompany your answer, as though it alone would not be enough.

Sebastian walked forward and made to force the Viscount away from you, but he grabbed you instead. Chamber backed away from Sebastian with you in front of him, enveloped tightly in his arms. "I cannot let you have her," he mumbled. "We are meant to be together,"

Sebastian grinned almost...demonically. What a fool this man was if he thought he could have you just like that. He shook his head as though to indicate as much. "Let's not resort to foolishness, now," he said, almost too calmly. "Stand still, my Lady," he went on, talking to you now. He whipped a silver knife out of the inside pocket of his jacket and threw it just behind you. You heard the Viscount squeak in fear as he let you go. You whirled around and saw that Sebastian had managed to pin Chamber to the wall with the knife by slicing through the fabric of his white coat.

"Miss (F/N), please come here," said Sebastian more kindly, and you quickly obliged. As soon as you got to him though, you felt the heat flooding to your face as he gently scooped you up into his arms. Without waiting to see if Chamber would follow, Sebastian turned around and left the building the way he came. He moved swiftly and held you firmly but so that you were comfortable. You felt as though you weighed nothing in his arms and being pressed so close to his firm, masculine chest gave you a sense of safety. To your surprise, just around the corner was a carriage waiting for you. When you got there, he put you carefully inside and signalled to the driver to go, climbing in after you.

He wasn't going to give away the truth about who--and what--he was by acting irrationally.

"Thank you for coming to get me..." you said, looking at your hands in your lap. You couldn't meet his gaze but you hoped that your voice would tell him just how grateful you were.

"It didn't bear thinking about, Miss," he said. You could have sworn that you heard honesty in his voice; it didn't feel as though he was just saying something nice because that was what you wanted to hear.

"You must have been told to come, though..." you said quietly. "Your master wouldn't have let you leave, otherwise,"

Sebastian seemed to think about it for a moment--you glanced up and studied his face. He was even more beautiful than you'd previously thought. You took care not to stare too long, in case he thought you were being rude or...strange. When he did respond, however, you couldn't have been more surprised by what he said.

"Perhaps...But I would have come to your aid regardless,"

"Would you...?" you gasped, unsure you'd heard him correctly. "Really?"

"Of course. Perish the thought of you being captured by...anyone," He noticed your blush and smirked. "You're not embarrassed by that, are you?"

"Oh! No, not at all...!" you blurted, trying to think of any excuse to explain away that infernal blush. Nothing came to mind. "I'm just...flattered that you would come to save me..."

"Well...perhaps I'm just being selfish," he mumbled, looking out of the carriage window. As he sat opposite you, you could see almost every one of the slight changes of expression flickering across his face. "I didn't like the idea of some man running off with you," As he added this to your conversation, he turned back to look at you. His eyes were so intense that you couldn't draw yourself away from them. Your line of sight switched briefly to his lips, for reasons unknown to you, and then back to his eyes. His beautiful eyes.

Little did you realise he was thinking the exact same of you.

 _"I'm a demon, for pity's sake. I shouldn't be thinking like this. I shouldn't be feeling like this. What kind of human is she?!"_ he thought to himself, growing increasingly confused with himself. He was only confused for the reason that he didn't think this was normal, but he knew exactly what he wanted. What he needed.

Finding yourself unable to find anything appropriate to respond with, yet again, you simply smiled a little and said, "I don't know how I'll be able to repay you,"

A crafty smirk crossed Sebastian's face just as your manor's driveway came into view. It turned out that Chamber hadn't taken you all that far away.

"What is it?" you said kindly, genuinely offering to reward him before your parents did. Which you knew they would.

"I wouldn't like to ask, my Lady," he said with a chuckle.

"No, please!" you gushed. "I insist!" You had no idea where this sudden confidence came from but you knew that it would be far easier to conduct conversations in the future if the confidence held fast.

He stopped to seriously consider your offer for a minute. He eyed you curiously, wondering if you really meant what you said. Clearly when he found no trace of a lie in your eyes or your expression, he carefully made his request. Your heart must have stopped when he finished speaking.

"A kiss is all I ask,"

Your breathing quickened and so did your pulse--eventually. You didn't know how you'd go about this, but you were a woman of your word. "Alright..." you said quietly, leaning forward. He also leaned forward, ready to receive his reward. Just as you were about to do it, the carriage came to a stop. You glanced out of the window and saw that you had arrived back at your mansion.

You paid little attention, knowing that the driver would wait a little while before taking the carriage to the coach house at the back of the mansion. You leaned back towards Sebastian and gently kissed his cheek. He seemed to be alright with that, but then, just as you were about to reach for the door handle, he spoke and grabbed your attention again.

"No...Here," he murmured and cupped your face with his hands, bringing you in for an even softer kiss on the lips. The silence of the world around you intensified as you lost yourself in the moment and the warmth of that kiss. Everything was so quiet, in fact, that you heard the front doors open a short distance away and you could tell exactly who was exiting the house: your mother and father, Ciel and Lizzie.

Sebastian was the one to--slowly--pull back first. He smirked as though he had won a personal victory and you realised once again that your face was probably cherry red. He got out of the carriage and opened the door for you, graciously helping you out and behaving as though nothing happened moments before.

"Oh, darling!" cried your mother, running over to you. "Are you hurt? You're alright!" she gabbled, barely giving you time to breathe, let alone speak.

"Mother, I'm fine..." you said, trying to reassure her as she wrapped you in a tight embrace, as well as a warm shawl. You hadn't noticed before--for once--but it really was freezing outside, especially at night as it was. Your father came rushing over while Ciel and Lizzie waited on the porch for Sebastian to return to them. However, your father had decided that he would speak to him instead.

"You, my good man, have done this family a great service by returning our daughter," he said to the butler. "Is there anything at all we can do to repay you?"

Sebastian simply bowed to your father and remained there while he spoke. "You are most gracious, my Lord, however I cannot accept a reward. Seeing your daughter returned to her home safe and sound is more than reward enough, but I was merely acting as befits a servant of House Phantomhive,"

You could hear him pretending that he hadn't already been rewarded by you in the carriage. He was sneaky.

"Very well," said your father, putting a loving arm around you. "If that is what you wish. However, both you and your master shall forever be friends of ours. If there is ever anything we can do to help you, do not hesitate to call upon us,"

"You have my deepest thanks, Lord (L/N)," said Sebastian, straightening up. He watched as you were ushered back towards the house by your parents and also as you were accosted by a deeply concerned Lizzie.

You glanced back over your shoulder at him as he returned to Ciel's side. As your eyes met, he grinned a devastatingly charming grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya!
> 
> Aaaaaand here's Chapter Eight for you lovely people! Thanks so much for reading, hope you stick around for the next part!
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	9. Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you think that you were the only one left with their head spinning after you were rescued from the Viscount of Druitt's grasp? If you did, you'd be wrong. 
> 
> HE can't stop thinking about you either. You know who...
> 
> (Another chapter from the perspective of the devilishly handsome Phantomhive butler.)

"Sebastian,"

The butler flinched slightly, wondering how many times Ciel had said his name. Getting so lost in his own thoughts was unlike him but it was becoming an increasingly frequent occurrence. He looked at his master and gave him his usual look, the one that told him that he was listening. But his thoughts had already begun to wander again, and he knew exactly where they were going.

"My Lord?" he said, piercing through the distracting thoughts.

Ciel didn't seem to be too bothered by his behaviour so Sebastian assumed that the young Earl had only called his name once. He waited for the boy to issue a command, or to speak to him at the very least. The sunlight streamed in through the windows, unhindered by the heavy curtains, and bounced off the shiny wooden table. The young master appeared to have only just finished his breakfast, so Sebastian wondered what his next course of action would be.

"What is my schedule for today?" said the Earl, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

Sebastian closed his eyes slowly, realising that he hadn't memorised it yet.  _"I shouldn't be wondering why I'm so out-of-sorts,"_ he thought to himself. He knew precisely where his mind was and why he hadn't been paying any attention at all to his duties as of late. Since arriving back at Phantomhive Manor after the ball at the (L/N) Estate, Sebastian's thoughts had remained with (F/N) and only her.

She was so beautiful that night, even more so than usual. The red dress she wore really set off her complexion and the colour of her eyes. The addition of black gave her an even greater feminine charm, but one of mystery rather than girlishness. He knew he shouldn't have been looking at her as much as he did but the off-shoulder style of her dress accentuated her bare, sloping shoulders and, more than that, the low neckline drew attention to her--rather womanly--chest.

He simply couldn't stop thinking about her in that dress. He couldn't stop thinking about that kiss, either.

Sebastian hadn't thought that it would actually work, asking (F/N) for a kiss in exchange for freeing her from Chamber's possession. He'd been...somewhat satisfied with the peck on the cheek, but he found himself wanting more. It felt like a requirement, more than anything. To taste her lips, feel them pressed against his...It was intoxicating. An addiction. He felt as though he'd taken leave of his senses but she made him realise that before, when he'd thought that emotions and needing a companion didn't apply to him, he was completely and utterly wrong.

"Your schedule for today, my Lord, consists of your studies for the morning followed by lunch at noon. For the afternoon you have time for some leisure activities before a late afternoon meeting with one of your business partners," he said to Ciel, suddenly recalling the day's diary entries before forgetting them entirely.

Ciel rose from his seat at the head of the dining table and nodded his head. "Ah yes, Lord (L/N)," he said with recognition, remembering the meeting date for himself. "(F/N)'s father,"

Sebastian wished that his master would shut up from time to time. There were certain things that didn't need to be said, and that was one of them. The added dig that the Marquess was (F/N)'s father. Ciel knew that Sebastian was struggling with an attraction to the young woman, and so he would utilise every opportunity to taunt him about it--even if only discreetly. Even so, he noticed the demon's expression suddenly become considerably brighter at the mere mention of (F/N)'s name.

"Are you quite sure you don't feel anything for her?" teased the boy, smirking at his butler. It was time to be more direct with his mockery of the demon. 

"I am positive, sir," said Sebastian, dipping his head in a curt nod to his master. Just as Mey-Rin came into the room to clear away the breakfast things, Sebastian followed the young Earl out of the room and to his study/office, where he conducted most of his correspondence and learning. It was spotless as ever, and one of Ciel's tutors patiently awaited his arrival there. As soon as the boy was seated at his desk, Sebastian went to fetch tea--Ciel would become restless and irritable, and likely learn nothing if he didn't have sustenance during his lessons--and came back with it very quickly indeed. If he didn't, it was very possible that he wouldn't have enough time to round up the other servants and get them out of his way so that he could begin preparations for the Master's lunch.

Leaving Ciel alone with his tutor, Sebastian hurried along to the kitchen where he found Baldroy evidently trying to decide which to use--a blowtorch or a flamethrower--to cook the meat of the day. Sebastian's eyes widened in alarm at the chef's disorganised and foolhardy methods of "cooking".

"Bard...What are you doing?" growled the butler, surprising the chef so much that he dropped both weapons in unison. "How many times must I tell you...?" Sebastian massaged the bridge of his nose with his fingers in exasperation, disbelieving that even a human could be so reckless.

"Oh! Uh...Sorry, Sebastian. You know how it is," said Baldroy, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and laughing a little nervously. If he was going to be completely honest, Sebastian scared the living daylights out of him sometimes.

"Unfortunately," sighed Sebastian. He wasn't in the mood to be dealing with the chef's wayward shenanigans. And, if Finnian and/or Mey-Rin showed up, there would most certainly be added hijinks because they seemed to love nothing more as a group than doing things that seemed to make Sebastian's life harder. Not that he couldn't deal with it. He walked further into the kitchen and opened a drawer, selecting a knife and taking the honing steel out as well. Without looking at Bard, he began sharpening the already razor-sharp knife and spoke once again. "Thank you for leaving the household with a fully functional kitchen for a change,"

Bard stared at Sebastian as if he'd grown an extra head. He'd just  _thanked_ him for something. He wondered if he was feeling alright and asked him as much.

"Don't push your luck," the butler warned him, giving him caution not to take advantage of his suddenly much-better mood. He had a certain someone back on his mind.

"Alright," said the chef, backing off a little. "Uh...Can I help with anything?"

 _"Since I'm feeling...friendly,"_ thought Sebastian in his peculiar new mindset. "Yes. You can start by washing those greens over there," he said, nodding his head to various salad ingredients. Bard's eyes widened in shock because of the butler's sudden change of character. He watched him as he washed the greens and wondered what had come over him. Maybe, he thought, Sebastian would entertain some light conversation.

"So how did that fancy party go the other night?" said Baldroy, putting a few of the washed tomatoes to the side of the sink. He tensed up, wondering if Sebastian was going to tell him to concentrate on what he was doing. To his surprise, he didn't.

"It was grand, as one might expect of people of such high standards," said Sebastian, sliding the knife along the steel again. He didn't say anything else. Bard pushed on.

"Did you see that lovely Miss (F/N)?" he said with obvious affection towards the girl. Sebastian tensed up himself this time, feeling jealousy rising in the pit of his stomach, but at the same time he felt the muscles in his face relax; if he wasn't careful he may have started smiling.

"Of course. It was her family home,"

The more Baldroy studied Sebastian's demeanour, the closer he came to realising what the man was thinking. Continuing to wash the salad, he looked over at Sebastian and saw that his facial features--most notably his eyes--had become much softer than before. He would know that expression anywhere.

"Hey,  _Sebastian_ ," he said teasingly. Instantly he saw him square his shoulders in anticipation of what he was about to say. "That look you've got there's the look of a man in love--,"

Just before he could say anything else the knife in Sebastian's hand came flying his way, pinning him to the worktop by his rolled-up sleeve. Sebastian's deadly accuracy frightened Baldroy, knowing that if he'd really wanted to hit him with the knife he would have done so. The butler approached him slowly, looking him straight in the eyes as he trembled slightly.

"You shouldn't say things that you know nothing about," growled the demon, maintaining an outwardly calm expression but clearly unhappy with Bard's comment. "I'll handle the rest of the lunch preparations. You can go and make sure that the others don't destroy the manor while I'm busy," He yanked the knife out of the counter--and Bard's sleeve--and walked away, running a gloved finger along the freshly-honed edge of the blade. It was more of a weapon than a cooking utensil. Bard made himself scarce as soon as Sebastian let him go, but thought to himself as he went that the butler was suddenly much too defensive over what he'd just implied.

He chuckled to himself as he walked down the hallway.  _"He's such a peculiar guy,"_ he thought.

Meanwhile, Sebastian busied himself with making culinary preparations for the young Master's lunch. It was the same process as always, just a different dish. As he sliced and diced various ingredients for the meal, his thoughts began to stray once again. The kiss he had shared with the Marquess' daughter still tingled on his lips. He wondered what she'd made of it...He wondered when he'd see her again...

 _Slice_.

He stopped chopping the ingredients and looked at his now bleeding finger. Removing his glove, he saw that the cut wasn't at all large and not at all serious. The knife had simply grazed his skin. He put the bleeding finger in his mouth and sucked gently, until he was sure that the flow had stopped. Unfortunately, he found himself thinking most inappropriate thoughts about the Lady (F/N) and himself. He washed his hand to ensure that the wound was clean before continuing with cooking. He would replace his glove later, and removed the other for symmetry.

 _"The things she does to me even in her absence,"_ he thought fondly. 

What would happen when he saw her again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, good readers!
> 
> Chapter Nine is now complete! Sorry if it's a little short, but I hope it was enjoyable! Chapter Ten should be posted tomorrow (September 27th) ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	10. A Surprise Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has only been three weeks since you met Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis, although it feels as though it's been much longer. You haven't seen either of them since the ball hosted by your father at your family home, and since you shared a tender moment with Sebastian, but now you find yourself extremely excited to find a letter awaiting you with the Phantomhive seal on the envelope.
> 
> What could it possibly be about?

You came downstairs as you did every morning with your maid following slightly behind you. She was a mere waif of a woman, slightly older than you but much, much smaller. There was barely anything to her but she was so very lovely to you. She was in possession of the palest skin, a shock of bright red hair and silvery blue eyes; she was also very quiet. She seldom spoke in front of anyone but you. On this particular day, she told you what was being served for breakfast as you descended the staircase.

"Today we have servings of fruit scones and butter, toast with fresh blackberry jam, hot oat porridge and honey, a selection of fruits and either tea, milk, coffee or fresh orange juice, my Lady," said Dorothy, your maid. You often affectionately shortened her name to 'Dotty' or 'Dolly', the latter because she was so small and fragile--much like a china doll. Even though she was a servant of the house, you would often sneak food away from the table and the food carts transporting meals to and from the dining room to give to her and--when you were able--the other servants. Your parents were kind people, but you weren't sure how they would tolerate feeding others like this.

So you didn't tell them, and neither did they.

"Thank you, Dolly," you said, reaching the bottom of the stairs. You could sense her smiling behind you, knowing that she was now long-used to your nicknames for her. She didn't mind anymore. In the beginning, it had been a little uncomfortable but as you had grown to be friends she had come to enjoy the fond diminutive of her name that you used. "I think I'll have some toast and jam, please,"

Dorothy smiled and nodded, even though you couldn't see her. "Of course, Miss," she said. "And what will you be drinking?"

"Oh! Um...Some orange juice, please,"

Your maid smiled again. She always appreciated your good manners; the last family she had worked for, when she was just a girl, were considerably ruder. You were a true lady, one of distinction and fine standing and etiquette, something you didn't even spare for servants. "Yes, my Lady," she said, and rushed forward to open the door to the dining room for you. It was not something that you liked her to do, but she did it anyway as a way of affording you further respect. You always told her that she didn't need to but she did it anyway. As you entered the room, you saw your father sitting at the head of the table and your mother next to him on his right. Just as you were about to sit in your usual seat--on your father's left--Dorothy approached you again with a tray of food and a letter.

"This came for you this morning, my Lady," she said, setting the tray down and taking the plate of food off, placing it in front of you. She put your orange juice nearby too, and laid a napkin down on the table beside your plate. She then handed you your letter, as well as a paper knife. You thanked her and took both gently from her cool white hands, just before she backed away and stood near the edge of the room waiting for you to breakfast.

"What have you got there, darling?" your father asked as you slipped the paper knife under the seal of the envelope. "A letter?"

"Yes...from Earl Phantomhive," you replied, taking the enclosed letter from the envelope and beginning to read it. Its contents read:

_" **Dear Lady (F/N) (L/N),**_

**_I sincerely hope that this letter finds you in good health. I am writing to formally invite you, and your family, to a Christmas ball being held at my estate on Christmas Eve of this year. You are very welcome to stay at the estate for the entire holiday period._ **

**_I look forward to hearing from you soon._ **

**_Yours,_ **

_**Earl Ciel Phantomhive** "_

You were most surprised to receive an invitation from the Earl at this time, not having put him down as a person who would host parties in his own home. You were more than happy to accept, since your meeting with him through Lizzie had helped you to gain some confidence in the social world. All you had to do was ask your parents to accompany you.

"Earl Phantomhive has invited us to a Christmas ball at his estate," you told them before taking a bite of toast. Your mother looked up gleefully and your father smiled, nodding approvingly.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," he said, sipping his coffee. "You should write back to him as soon as you've finished your breakfast,"

"I will," you told him, taking another bite. Swallowing, you thought about who else you would see there. Undoubtedly Lizzie would be there, and possibly some other nobles that you hadn't yet had the pleasure--or otherwise--of meeting, but also Sebastian...Your face flushed with heat as you remembered the kiss you had shared.

Why had he wanted a kiss from you? Did it mean anything to him? You hadn't really given it much thought beyond a girlish infatuation, but really a kiss would always mean something to you. It had been your first, after all. At nearly twenty years of age--spent as the daughter of a nobleman--you had lived a very chaste life so far and had never even held proper conversation with a man apart from your father. Sebastian had changed a lot of things.

As you finished your breakfast, another servant came along and began clearing everything away. Dolly came to your side and followed you as you left the room, letting your parents know where you were going. To write that letter of response to Ciel, of course. You came to your private study and sat down at the desk by the window, just as Dolly closed the door behind you both. You opened a nearby drawer and took out your fountain pen and some paper used specifically for writing letters--the parchment had your family's crest in the top right-hand corner.

"What will you say, my Lady?" asked Dolly, knowing that you didn't mind her asking questions about your intentions.

"I will say that we would be happy to attend the ball," you told her, putting pen to paper and beginning to write. "Would you care to accompany me also, Dolly?"

The young woman blushed a little, a sudden rush of blood to her otherwise pallid face that was rather more pink than red. "I would be honoured to go with you, Miss,"

You looked up and smiled brightly at her. You wished that she wasn't your maid so that you could be friends more freely than this. "Then I shall ask the Earl if I can bring you along," you said, and resumed composing your letter. Dolly said nothing else while you wrote away, quickly and in beautiful cursive handwriting. Every time she saw you do that, Dolly felt absurdly jealous because she'd never been able to learn. Not that she'd had much opportunity.

As you finished writing, you took an envelope out of another drawer and folded the letter, inserting it smoothly and carefully into the paper package, taking great care not to crease anything or dull any corners. You closed it, and then took a candle and box of matches out of another stationery drawer. The candle was specially made for creating wax seals, so when you lit the end the candle began to melt and you could smear the hot wax on the envelope. You took the stamp out of the same drawer and pressed it carefully to the wax, waiting until it would have left a perfect imprint of your family's emblem.

You addressed and stamped the letter, and smiled up at Dolly who had been watching you work the entire time. You placed the hot candle--now not in use--on a flat glass paperweight on your desk and allowed it to dry. "Here," you said to your maid, who had clearly been waiting for you to ask something of her. "Please can you post this for me as soon as you get the chance?"

"Of course, my Lady,"

-

The day of the ball had arrived and once again you found yourself in a carriage bound for Phantomhive Manor. You even had Lizzie along with you for the journey, since your parents had thought it would be easier if you just picked her up en route to the party. Of course, the girl hadn't stopped chattering the whole distance there but that was alright. Your mother continued to chat with her, and you and your father just smiled and rolled your eyes. You were the two more reserved characters in your family and only outspoken when it was necessary. You were a mixture of your mother and father but it was easy to see which aspects you took from your father more than your mother and vice versa.

The carriage drew up to the mansion in what seemed like no time at all after collecting Lizzie from her family home. You were very excited, and you knew exactly why. But you couldn't tell your parents that.

"Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate," said Ciel, greeting your parents. He smiled gently at you, as was customary for the host of the ball, and bowed. "And welcome back, Miss (F/N). I hope that your stay will be a most pleasant and festive one. We have provided for our guests every comfort and luxury available, so I hope you will make yourselves at home,"

"Thank you, Lord Phantomhive," said your father, shaking the young man's hand. It was common for your father to do this, you realised. He was very well-known and very high ranking, but that didn't make him at all arrogant. He liked to shake the hands of others to show his friendliness towards them. "You have a most splendid home,"

You smiled to yourself, remembering how Ciel had given you almost the very same compliment at the ball your father had hosted not long before. You glanced around you and saw Sebastian stood nearby for the convenience of his master. As your eyes met you recognised immediately the same intense, expectant expression as that which he'd worn when you departed the estate last time you came to visit. You wanted to go straight over to him and speak to him right away but that would, of course, have been construed as odd and more than just a little suspicious.

You didn't want that. You simply regarded him while keeping your gaze soft.

 _"Beautiful as ever,"_ he thought as he watched you from across the hall. His gaze wasn't even torn from you when Lizzie launched herself at Ciel.

Struggling with the cumbersome blonde hanging off him, Ciel called across to Sebastian. "Please take our guests to the salon for refreshments," he said, acting as though he was gently hugging her back. The butler approached and bowed to you all.

"It is so very good to see you again," he said smoothly, addressing all of you at once. "Please follow me,"

You followed the suave, darkly-dressed butler to the drawing room where two other guests were already sat waiting. Sebastian didn't even get a chance to introduce you to them as the male of the pair leaped up and bombed over to your father.

"Marquess (L/N)!" he gushed, shaking your father's hand. He had a distinctly European accent which you placed very quickly; the man was French in origin and your father seemed to know him quite well. "It is so good to see you, my friend!"

"And you, Monsieur Guillaume," he said, shaking his hand in return and patting him on the shoulder. "It is very good to see you indeed,"

"And is this your lovely family?"

"It is. My wife and my daughter, (F/N)," said your father, proudly introducing you to him.

Sebastian, stood at the door, suppressed an angry scowl as the charming Frenchman kissed your hand. 

"Your ladies are very beautiful indeed," he crooned, winking at you and backing away. "Ah! How rude of me! My name is Jean Guillaume, and this is my sister Marie," he said suddenly, introducing the lady behind him. She was incredibly pretty, you thought, and it made you extremely jealous. She wore a dress in a light lilac colour which went very well with her light blonde hair.

You suddenly felt very insecure.

"Yes, well..." sighed your father, moving to protect you slightly. "While they may be beautiful, please keep your hands to yourself, sir," he said, laughing slightly. But you could clearly hear the warning in his voice.

Guillaume laughed and went back to his seat, offering you and your parents seats on the sofa opposite him and his sister, Marie. She eyed you with curiosity as you sat but soon her attention was drawn away by Sebastian offering you all some tea.

"Yes please..." you said as he asked you individually if you wanted any. He smiled serenely and began to pour you a cup, waiting for Lizzie and Ciel to join you if no other guests would be arriving for the time being. As Sebastian handed you your tea, you realised that he had made it just the way you liked it with slightly more milk and sugar than usual. It was simply nicer when it was sweet.

 _"He remembered..."_ you thought as he passed the cup and saucer to you. Just then your eyes were drawn to Marie batting her eyelashes at him, even though he wasn't looking at her but rather your father as he spoke to him. You weren't paying attention to what they were talking about but you found yourself suddenly incensed by Marie's behaviour. It was ridiculous, you thought, that you could be so angered by one woman attempting to flirt with a man who wasn't even yours to be jealous over...but it was still the way it made you feel.

You sipped your tea delicately and did your best not to spill it on your pastel blue dress. You had worn one of your favourites for the first day there, and had brought with you one slightly more extravagant dress for the ball and a couple of others for the other days you would be spending there at the Phantomhive estate. Just then, Ciel entered the room with Lizzie and four more people in tow. Two were very handsome young men who looked to be Indian in origin, and the other two looked to be Oriental--a man and a woman.

"Everyone, this is Prince Soma Asman Kadar, the twenty-sixth child of the King of Bengal of India and his..."khansama", Agni," said Ciel, introducing the two Indian men respectively. You smiled as he clearly struggled with which term to actually use for this Agni fellow. "And this is Lau and Ran-Mao," he added, gesturing first to the man and then the woman. You took notice of how he didn't give any indication of how Lau and Ran-Mao came to arrive together but you were sure that you would find out at some point.

Soon enough, the room was filled with happy discussion of the evening's entertainment and other topics of conversation. You happily looked around at everyone--less so at Marie--and listened in rather than contributing. Just beyond the sofa opposite you, you met the gentle yet watchful gaze of Sebastian.

You blushed hotly as he flashed his eyes at you--an almost invisible gesture made for your eyes only--in the form of a quick widening and relaxing of his eyes. It was almost...suggestive in its nature. More than anything, it made you long to be alone with him again as you had been in the carriage before, on your way home after being rescued.

-

That evening, you descended the stairs from the same room as that which you had been given during your last stay at the Phantomhive estate. This time, for a ball, you wore not a bold, deep-coloured ensemble but a rather more demure yet still distinctly mature number in wintry silver. For once your mother had allowed Dorothy to be the one to help you prepare for the party and so she seemed to be quite happy with her handiwork for a change.

There were a good many more people now in attendance at Ciel's Christmas party and once again you found yourself being stared at. This time, you made a conscious effort to look around for Sebastian. The music floated on the warm air as it had at your father's ball previously, and snow fell thickly beyond the windows. Christmas decorations bedecked the walls and furniture, and everything positively glowed and sparkled.

-

Sebastian returned to the ballroom with a tray full of glasses of champagne--Ciel had decided that even the youngest people in attendance (Lizzie and himself) should be allowed the luxury of drinking a little that evening--and nearly lost his balance with it as soon as he saw you. You outshone everyone there, and he found himself unable to breathe. You were a vision in silver, as delicate and beautiful as the crystals that adorned the room and the snowflakes that fell outside. From that moment on, the evening for him was all about the comfort and happiness of one.

You.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies!
> 
> Hope you're all well! Chapter Ten is now complete, next one is a work in progress. I apologise if the writing is a little different to previous chapters; I'm having a bit of writer's block at present and it's proving quite difficult to shift; it is resulting in quite long-winded storytelling...Hope the story's enjoyable anyway! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	11. Merry Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Christmas Eve, celebration and merrymaking is underway at the Phantomhive estate. Of course, it is an unusual occurrence indeed for the young Earl to host such a party but everyone seems to be having a good time--even him. As midnight approaches, everyone gathers around to toast the merriest day of the season.
> 
> There could be much more in store for you, though.

"Mademoiselle..." said a smooth, velvety voice. You looked up and saw Monsieur Guillaume bowing to you and offering you an outstretched hand. "May I have this dance?" His smile was flawless and his eyes were warm and soft as they rested on you. You felt somewhat at ease but the notion of dancing with anyone but the man who made you enjoy it made you apprehensive.

You offered him a little smile, one that clearly portrayed your shyness, and took his hand. You were the daughter of one of the business associates of this man, and you were supposed to behave like a noblewoman  _all_ of the time, regardless of who you were associating with yourself. As he led you out to join the other happy dancers, you thought about your duties as the Marquess' daughter and how you hoped that this would be over soon. Handsome though Jean was, you couldn't help feeling the same discomfort with him as that which you felt with Aleistor Chamber.

"You dance like a princess," he said, twirling you round. You looked away, managing to muster a blush this time that excused your lack of words. Your averted gaze came to rest on Sebastian who stood on ceremony next to Mey-Rin, who was also providing the guests with refreshments that evening. You suppressed what you knew would appear on your face as a scowl, seeing Marie chatting away to Sebastian. You weren't sure just how much attention he was paying, though, for he suddenly glanced away from her and straight at you. You turned your focus back to Jean and continued to dance.

The dance was very long but the more you went along with it the more you found yourself forgetting about your dance partner's sister and the man with whom you found yourself...romantically interested.

How did you feel about him? How exactly could you describe it? You didn't know, but you hoped that the niggling, nameless feeling would soon make itself known.

The music began to slow and then finally stopped; Jean let you go. He kissed your hand so gently it was like being kissed by sunlight. It had a sickeningly sweet quality to it, like having affection showered upon you by fairies. Very odd, considering this was a fully-grown man with no elfin qualities whatsoever. Looking around the room, you noticed that Sebastian was now speaking to your father. They seemed to be chatting quite amicably, when suddenly they both looked over at you.

 _"Are they talking about me?"_ you thought to yourself, moving over towards Lizzie. She squealed and hugged you tightly, almost as if she hadn't seen you already that day.

"You look so beautiful again!" she cried, bouncing up and down while holding your hands. "Where  _do_ you get it from?!"

You blushed and searched for an appropriate answer to give her. "Thank you...You're too kind, Lizzie, really," Just then you heard someone behind you clear their throat. "O-oh...Sebastian," you said, suddenly beginning to tremble in his very near presence. 

"Good evening, Miss (F/N)," he said gently. "Are you feeling alright? You look quite...flushed,"

"Ah! I'm fine, thank you..." you answered honestly. Clearly your blush was quite obvious but that didn't deter you from making a good appearance that evening. You were determined not to let your timidness undermine you. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I was just speaking with your father and, with his permission, I have come to you to ask for a dance...Would you do me this honour?" he said, keeping his voice low.

Your heart leaped for joy and you smiled, taking his hand. It felt quite...good to hear him speaking as though he knew exactly what he wanted, to hear him getting straight to the point and not beating about the bush. You had wondered when you would next get the chance to dance with him as you had at your father's party before. "I would be delighted," you said, following him away from Lizzie. You turned back to her and mouthed that you would be back shortly.

The music was one of the more classical Christmas pieces and you looked up at Sebastian wondering how a demon could pretend to partake in human festivities like this. He caught you staring and smiled, pulling you closer to him. "Is something the matter, my Lady?"

"Uh, no! Nothing at all!" you stammered, downplaying the reason for your close analysis of him. His grin widened, indicative of the fact that he didn't really believe you. He stood out greatly in the ballroom, a dark figure in an almost golden setting. It seemed to suit him very well, even better than the Earl himself. There was just something so majestic about him...

You suddenly realised how emotionally invested in him you were. You couldn't believe, at this stage, that you had allowed yourself to bring your heart so close to a demon.

"Very well," he said at length, tipping his head slightly to one side and smiling--sweetly?--at you. One of his eyes became hidden behind his fringe and it became clear that he was trying to beguile you. You knew that there was something else on his mind and you were right. "So tell me, Miss...Do you like that man?" he said, nodding his head towards Jean. Your eyes widened in surprise and you shook your head.

"Please define what you mean by 'like'..." you said, keeping your voice low as he had earlier. You grinned at him exactly as he had at you moments before. It was rapidly turning into a game.

He smiled at your coyness. He loved it. "Do you care for him? Would you accept his affections, were he to offer them to you?" he growled, gently massaging the soft part of your waist with his fingertips. "Would you... _go_ with him?"

Your body tensed and heated up very quickly as he led you through a quick turn in the dance steps. His red eyes were almost molten and burned into you with a kind of intensity you'd never seen before. It was passion, you knew that much. It made you tingle with excitement and anticipation; what did he want from you?

"N-no..." you stuttered, trying desperately to get the words out. "I don't feel that way about him..."

"No?"

You searched his face for any signs of why he was asking you those questions in such a purring, seductive voice. "No," you said. "I don't,"

He smirked and loosed a low chuckle. "Good," He spun you out of the hold he originally had you in, keeping a firm but gentle hold on your hand before bringing you back. As you spun back, you found yourself with your back against his chest and his arm around you. He leaned in and whispered to you, "I'm sure you remember me telling you that I can be very selfish..."

Your skin prickled with the warmth flowing around your body. He was so close to you, still moving in time with the music, and if you had so much as tweaked the position of your head he would have been able to kiss you again. Your breathing went ragged as you breathed in and felt him smirking against your neck. He twirled you around to face him again and resumed the usual position for the dance. This time he brought you so close that your chest was pressed up against his.

"You're blushing," he said, pointing out the vivid colour of your cheeks.

"...!" You couldn't say anything, momentarily, but soon found your confidence. "No, I'm not!" you protested, giving him a playful, childish pout. He chuckled.

"What a charming young woman you are..." he murmured, scanning your face. He was much different to how he had been before, you realised--his behaviour was much more suited to a demon, now. It didn't make you feel at all uncomfortable, though. You wondered why that was. His eyes traced all of your features, from your eye region to your nose, your cheekbones, your jaw and finally your lips. His gaze trailed slowly back up to look at you properly.

He was about to say something else when suddenly the music came to an end. He let go of you and did as he had the first time you danced; he bowed and then kissed your hand, kissing over the part of your hand that Jean had, covering the mark.

"Thank you for the dance..." he said, leading you back to Lizzie.

"You're...more than welcome," you replied, finally finding within you the confidence to play his game. As he bowed and walked away, Lizzie began chattering away to you as if nothing had happened, and as if you'd never left her side.

The only unsettling aspect of this otherwise happy scene for you was the vicious glare shot at you from across the room by Marie Guillaume. You ignored her and cheerfully returned to concentrating on Lizzie.

-

Everyone gathered around in a great circle as the great grandfather clock in the room indicated that it was five minutes to midnight. Everyone held a glass of champagne each, ready to toast to the dawning of Christmas Day. Lizzie stood with Ciel, your parents stood together with you by their side, the Guillaume siblings stood together and everyone else who was there with somebody gathered with their loved ones. Ciel had even allowed Baldroy, Finnian, Mey-Rin and Sebastian to toast--in the name of keeping up appearances, of course--but Sebastian remained completely sober for the sake of maintaining service for the guests. As the twelve chimes to midnight began, people began to count with it.

"Five...! Four...! Three...! Two...! _One!_ " they chanted, and the clock sang its tune to announce the beginning of the new day. Thick snow tumbled from the cold, dark sky outside while everyone raised their glasses in the golden warmth, bidding everyone a 'Merry Christmas' and hugging each other. You smiled happily and took a sip of champagne after raising your glass to everyone in the circle with you.

As people began to disperse, certain party-goers began saying their good-nights and making their way off to bed. You saw the beautiful snow falling beyond the windows and thought to yourself how it had been so long since you had seen a white Christmas...The part of the country that your family called home often saw more rain than snow during the holiday season. Despite the obvious cold, you slipped outside to enjoy the snowfall.

No sooner were you outside than you realised that, if you were to venture out into the whitewashed garden, you would instantly be ankle-deep in snow. Thus, you remained on the covered patio watching the snowflakes flurry before your eyes. The stars in the night sky were replaced by equally white snow crystals. The creak of a door opening resounded behind you and you whirled around to see who it was.

"What are you doing out here in the cold? I thought you would have learned your lesson by now..." said Sebastian, raising a questioning eyebrow at you. His lips were not without that trademark smirk of his, though.

"I just like the thought of having a white Christmas, for once," you said honestly. "I don't much mind the cold when there is a good reason for it,"

He nodded as though he understood. Of course, he didn't  _really_ but he could at least act like he did. "You really are a fascinating creature..." he murmured, coming closer to you. "Look at you, though...Your skin is almost blue with cold,"

"Oh...I hadn't noticed," you replied, doing your best to compose yourself while thinking about what he said just before. When he was around you felt much too warm...He had a rather incredible effect on you. He moved even closer to you, offering you the natural warmth he emitted from his person. You stood there watching the snow fall, the entire world being silent beyond the house. You could only just hear the sounds of merriment and laughter inside the house.

The silence was suddenly broken by Sebastian, who you hadn't realised was watching you intently.

"You look as though you have something on your mind, my dear," he said gently.

It was true, you thought. You were pondering your next course of action with regards to telling him that you knew what he was. He just...didn't scare you. The nature of his existence only served to remind you of...previous experiences. You had also been meaning to talk to your parents about that too...

"Yes, well..." you said quietly, listening to the wintry sounds of quiet, seemingly distant wind blowing across the snow. "It isn't of any importance..."

"Everything has some degree of importance," said the butler, in a tone that you could only describe as reassuring. "Especially if it troubles you,"

It was all so confusing...One minute he could be very kind and gentle, the next he could be intense and alluring...He was difficult to decipher. You thought about telling him for another few moments, until finally plucking up the courage to tell him--or at least imply to him--what you knew.

"How do you endure human whims like those you see in there?" you said, nodding your head over towards the house. Daring yourself to look at him, you realised he knew exactly what you were insinuating. You pressed on, elaborating on what you had already said. There was no backing out of it now. "I can't imagine how simple we must seem in your eyes,"

He released a low chuckle from the bottom of his throat. You weren't sure what that meant for you. "So you had an inkling, then...?" he said calmly, looking ahead into the snow and no longer at you.

"Yes..." you confessed. "I have since that night you found me walking the corridors..."

You froze stock still as he said nothing. Glancing at his face, you saw his eyes flash fuchsia...just before he pinned you to the wall. You squeaked, but not strictly out of fear.

"What are you doing?!" you gasped, pushing back against him. You weren't quite as desperate as you'd thought you would be in this position--you had considered having to fight back after telling the demon that you knew his secret--and he knew that. He was showing his true colours now. His demonic nature. But he wasn't holding you as firmly as he could have been.

"I shouldn't allow you to walk freely with this knowledge," he said darkly. You took note of the now scary smile on his face. It spoke of all kinds of pain but for some reason you didn't feel it threatening your very being. "It is not something that I, or my master, like people to know,"

You shivered slightly in the cold. Still he didn't scare you. Somehow you trusted him. It was time to be bold, and daring. "I don't believe that you'll hurt me," you said in a stronger voice than you'd originally intended to use. "I challenge you to prove me wrong,"

He searched your eyes for answers to all of his questions.  _Why_ were you so damn beautiful? So strong and yet so quiet? How could you be so clever with your words that you could even sway the instincts of a demon? You had many facets to your personality, and it enticed him to unlock them all...

His eyes softened and returned to the colour you knew. He stopped pushing you to the wall and wrapped his arms around you instead. His body seemed to become weaker and yet the kiss he pressed to your lips was almost bruising in its strength. "I can't prove you wrong," he growled, and pulled you in for another. "I can't hurt you,"

You lost yourself in his kisses, your face tilted upwards as he ravished your lips until they were swollen with affection. You opened your eyes ever so slightly, and saw above you a sprig of something just as his hand ran up your side, stroking you as though checking that you were real. You put your arms around his neck and pulled him closer, warm bodies pressing up against each other in the cold outside. You moaned a little as he moved to kiss your neck.

As for Sebastian, he no longer cared about the appropriateness of your shared actions. Whether you were the daughter of a Marquess or not, he couldn't resist you and he didn't want you to resist him either. He didn't know how you had come to realise that he was a demon, but he was certain that it would all come in good time. He wanted to touch you, feel you under his fingertips, make you his. He was going to be  _extremely_ selfish with you. He didn't even care that it was a human who had brought him to this point of desperation...You were the one he wanted.

You smiled as you realised the sprig above you was mistletoe. Purely by accident you had achieved what was probably Christmas' most romantic tradition. With a demon. He stopped bombarding you with kisses for a moment to see what you were looking at.

"Tsk," he tutted, returning to your neck but not without a smirk. "Humans and their customs..." You squirmed as he nipped at your collarbone, holding your hips to keep you still as he lavished his passion upon you.

Just then, his head flew up and once again his eyes flashed their true colour. He looked to be somewhat irked, and turned to you with regret.

"Is your master calling you?" you asked, resting your hands on the lapels of his coat. 

"Yes..." he mumbled, clearly dissatisfied with the circumstances. He leaned in and kissed you again, unable to get enough of you. "I'll be back before the night is at its end,"

He reluctantly left you and returned to Ciel, whom you could both hear calling his name. You would follow soon after, to avoid arousing suspicion in anyone inside, but you watched him go with a violently thudding heart. You would join everyone again soon but Sebastian...He was impossible. Irresistible. Forbidden.

But that was exactly what you were to him. As he walked with resentment of his master for forcing him to part with you, Sebastian considered how out-of-character you made him behave. You brought out a softer side of him, but all the same he couldn't deny his possessive, demonic urges. You made him desire...everything about you.

He would soon get to the bottom of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody!
> 
> Hope you're all well! Here's Chapter Eleven for you Black Butler fans, hope it was to your liking! Sorry to spring the hot and heavy stuff on you so suddenly ;D Get ready though, because I've got some very...interesting plans for the next update... ;)
> 
> As always, you're more than welcome to leave a comment and let me know what you think; I love hearing from you lovely people! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	12. Silent Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You sit before the fire, waiting for your demonic suitor--for want of a better descriptor--to return to your side as he had told you he would. As it starts to look like you'll be there a while, on your own, you decide to turn in for the night with disappointment.
> 
> But little do you realise, Sebastian is a man who never goes back on his word...

The warm, glowing fire before you danced before your eyes as the kindling crackled and snapped away. Embers leaped out of the fireplace and died on the hearth. The snow outside was beginning to fall more slowly and the snowflakes were more sporadic in their frequency. They were lighter and smaller than their brothers and sisters before them. The brightness of the flames bore hotly into your eyes and soon you were forced to look away. You looked at the ostentatious carpet with its intricate patterns and rich, deep colour. The whole room, in fact, was very plush; you hadn't realised it before but now that you sat alone you had every opportunity to take in its lavish beauty.

 _"I don't think he's coming back just yet..."_ you thought, thinking of Sebastian. You had only been away from him for an hour, but that was an hour too long it seemed. You let out a deep sigh, following it promptly with a yawn. The gentle light of the fire glinted off the baubles and tinsel in the room, creating a very comforting, homely feel for you. You were tired...Your parents had gone to bed and so had Lizzie. Everyone else staying at the manor had gone to sleep as well. There was nobody to talk to. There was nothing to do. You might as well have been in bed already.

You rose from the plush sofa and straightened the skirt of your dress, smoothing out the creases with your hands. There were no lights on in the room and so you were able to depart without worrying about what the room looked like. That was just your nature; you liked to make sure that you left the room in an acceptable state. You left the room, closing the door behind you to keep the heat in, and made your way towards the stairs. They seemed much larger and like there were far more steps to the top when walking them in the dark and on your own. Once at the top, it didn't take you long to reach your sleeping quarters.

You stood before the full-length mirror near the armoire in the room and turned, taking off your shoes and managing to unbutton your own dress although it was very stiff and difficult. You had sent Dolly off to bed long before, seeing how tired the poor girl was. You could manage, anyway. The dress slipped off your body and you were down to your undergarments but you weren't cold this time; the fire in the fireplace was putting out a lot of heat. You picked the dress up off the floor and opened the armoire, hanging the beautiful gown there on a hook. Walking to the adjoining bathroom, you took off your jewellery and decorative hair accessories and watched as your hair tumbled down. You picked up your brush and started to smooth it out, making sure to catch all the pesky knots. There were relatively few, but you didn't need them contributing to those that would undoubtedly be in your hair in the morning. You  _hated_ the sting of your hairbrush catching on matted locks.

You took a tissue and removed the red lipstick you had worn to the ball. The powder you wore on your face remained, but then again it often did until you took a bath. There wasn't time for that tonight; you needed to sleep. You gave yourself a quick once-over in the mirror before returning to your bedroom to put on your nightdress. You often walked around your own quarters at home in your underwear--it was better than potentially being caught walking around without a corset--so you felt as though you wouldn't be in trouble doing it here. Nobody would come, anyway.

Just as you thought that and you had taken your nightdress out of its drawer, you heard a light knock upon your bedroom door. You nearly leaped out of your skin. Your heart started beating more quickly and with greater impact, and you looked around wildly for something to cover yourself up with. The first thing that you spotted was your dressing gown hanging on the back of your bathroom door. You grabbed it and threw it on, fastening the ribbon around your waist to hold it in place over your underwear. You were nervous enough about answering the door dressed in just your corset and chemise  _with_ your dressing gown, let alone thinking about what would have happened if they'd seen you without it. Who could it have been, anyway? At this hour...

You made your way over to the door and were about to open it a crack just as there came another gentle tap. You opened it only slightly, peeking out at your visitor. You blushed hotly as you saw that it was, in fact, Sebastian.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" he said quietly, unable to actually see you through the narrow slit in the door. You could see him, though; his eyes held in them an unmistakably sad look.

"I'm fine..." you murmured, opening the door wider. "What brings you here? It's ever so late..."

He glanced over his shoulder at the clock ticking in the hallway. You were indeed correct; it was almost quarter to two in the morning. "You have my sincerest apologies for disturbing you at this hour..." he said, clearly with a degree of regret. "Were you sleeping?"

"No...I haven't been here for long..." you told him honestly. "I was waiting for you in the living room before..."

He closed his eyes for a moment, for reasons you were unsure of until he told you what he was thinking. "I am so sorry..." he mumbled. "I wish I could have come to you sooner but...there was business that my master needed me to help him with,"

"I understand..." you said, offering him a reassuring smile. He didn't have to apologise; he hadn't done anything wrong. He had a job to do and to remain by your side while Ciel was calling for him was interfering with that duty. "You have nothing to be sorry for,"

"I made you wait, late into the night. And then I came knocking while you were preparing for bed...I have been incredibly rude,"

You grinned. "No. You haven't," you insisted. "I would like to know something, though..."

"Anything you desire," His eyes glittered in the darkness, proof of his desire for you. But you didn't notice that...yet.

"How can you be so gentle and... _meek_ one moment, and then so wicked and passionate the next?"

He grinned at you. "Wicked, you say?" he mused. "Perhaps you bring out the best--and the worst--in me,"

You shivered as he said that, not just listening to his words but really  _hearing_ them as he spoke in such a low, lustful voice. You could hear the lust, too. It wasn't just something you had imagined. He sounded...hungry, in truth. But not for sustenance. "You didn't answer my question," you pointed out.

He chuckled, a deep and unrestrained sound of true amusement. "If I answer your question will you answer mine?"

"Yes," you said without a second thought. You smiled genuinely at him, your eyes creasing at the corners as you suppressed a giggle of your own.

"Very well then..." he purred. "I have to be seen to be behaving myself, most of the time, but I am afraid that it is you who makes me lose control of that...veneer,"

You nodded your head while grinning, satisfied with his answer. You watched him as he moved and almost completely covered the doorway. He leaned in and kissed you gently but with evident passion. "Nng..." you whined against his lips, creating a little space between you. He smirked. "What was your question?" you asked, running your fingers through his hair.

He laughed again, more softly this time. "Does anyone else know about your...hidden charms?" He wrapped his arms around you and kissed you again, savouring the moment before letting you answer.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Clearly you are not merely the reserved and demure young lady you make yourself out to be..." he growled, obviously enjoying the sensation of having you so close to him. "You have a hidden side,"

You smirked at him, coming closer and kissing his cheek. "Perhaps I just haven't found the right person to show that side of myself to," you whispered. It was true, you realised. You had always had the confidence to be more...cheeky. There was just nobody you ever felt comfortable being cheeky  _to_. But Sebastian was different. He was good fun. You didn't know why he sometimes made you shy and why he sometimes made you bold, but it didn't matter. He emboldened you at this very moment in time. You kissed his jaw and then his neck without thinking.

"So you choose me, a demon?" he murmured, grinning seductively at you. He couldn't tell you that at that moment you were driving him crazy. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Was that supposed to frighten me?" you teased, pulling your face away from his. "What would you do, anyway?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?" he whispered, leaning in again as though about to kiss your own jaw. He stopped short and you could feel him breathing gently on the skin of your neck. Suddenly your entire body went rigid as you felt something hot and wet touch you there; he licked your neck, almost experimentally, but you knew better. He was doing it on purpose.

"Y-yes..."

"Are you sure? I'm waiting for a more...assertive answer,"

"Yes!" you hissed, nearly bubbling over with excitement and anticipation.

He stepped forwards, backing you into the room and closed the door. The only light in the room came from the fireplace but you could still see his face. "W-well...?" you stammered, unsure of where this was now going.

"Something I've been planning to do since early this evening..."

Your skin prickled as he came closer, making your body heat up to an almost unbearable level. He positively radiated lust, and the sheer animal instinct to do...whatever it was he was planning to do to you. No matter how human he looked to you, you constantly had to remind yourself that he was a different creature entirely. You allowed him to approach, seeing that he was not going to do anything sudden--yet--and you let him touch you. That touch was electric, sending a jolt of ecstasy through your being as he slid your dressing gown down over your shoulders. He moved slowly, and silently, as he craned his neck to kiss yours. It was a beautiful sensation, as soft lips caressed the equally soft skin there. He was warm, made you feel safe, and made you want to be even closer.

As he kissed you he slipped out of his own jacket, discarding it on the floor before returning his hands to you. You felt one of his hands trail down your body, across your stomach until it stopped at the ribbon of your dressing gown. There was no struggle and no tugging involved, he simply pulled on the little bow as if pulling a silk ribbon from a gift. The robe drooped even further and he pushed it--ever so gently--off your body. Your lips barely parted the entire time, indulging in what was only describable as a tender, sensual moment.

Without a word, he turned you around so that you faced the bed and the window beyond. The pale moon beyond offered little light this time, being a mere sliver of a crescent now. You felt Sebastian's lips touch your shoulder from behind, then as the tip of his tongue ran along your skin. You shuddered a little, wanting more from him but too tongue-tied to ask. His fingers began to toy with your back, fiddling with the laces of your corset. You felt them loosen and eventually give way, the corset itself trying to escape from your body. Instinctively your hands flew to your chest and stomach in an attempt to preserve what very little modesty you had left. No sooner had your hands rushed to hide you than Sebastian's own settled upon yours, removing them from your body. Now neither you nor Sebastian touched your body but even without looking you could tell that your upper body was now fully exposed.

The excitement surged through you as you heard the demon's breathing go ragged before speaking to you, finally. "Sit down," he said, his voice nothing but a rumble. You heard the command in his tone and did as you were told, taking care to cover your breasts as you turned around to face him. His eyes lapsed from red to fuchsia, then back to red as he noticed what you were doing but he didn't try to stop you this time. He bit the wrist of his glove and tugged it off with his teeth in an almost feral fashion. He pulled the other off with his bare hand and you saw what looked like a tattoo on the back of his hand. You had seen it somewhere before...It was his contract seal.

It only seemed to take him a few moments to get out of his waistcoat and shirt, yanking his necktie off along with them. You stared in awe at his toned body, so muscular for such a svelte man. You were so busy admiring him that by the time you realised he was coming towards you and taking your hands away from your body it was too late. He had you on your back on the bed in an instant with your arms above your head. Blushing furiously you looked away from him, staring into the fire as though that would help you to avoid his gaze. You were brought back to attention by his uttering of a peculiar noise.

When you looked back you realised what it was. It matched his expression, at least. It had been a little hum of approval, as though he liked what he saw. It only made you blush harder. Your body felt as though it was on fire, and no amount of water would ever extinguish the heat. You weren't entirely sure you wanted that, though. You wanted  _him_. It had crossed your mind, though, that it could compromise your very soul by continuing with this...with a demon. Your mind shut down, however, and banished those thoughts as he brought his lips to your sensitive, previously untouched breasts. He was much more gentle than you had thought he would be as he sucked the rosy bud of your left breast, and even as he bit it slightly. You squirmed and let out a small squeak of some nameless emotion.

"Did you like that?" he growled, voice absolutely oozing sexuality now. "I want to know all of your soft spots...It'll be our dirty little secret..."

"S-Sebastian..." you gasped, shuddering with pleasure under his fingertips. You didn't need to tell him that you wanted him, despite never having done this before. He was already setting about relieving you of the remainder of your clothing and you were all-too happy to let him carry on with it. Until you realised that it did indeed mean that you would be entirely naked in front of somebody. You wriggled and tried to free your hands from his, the single hand holding your arms in place above your head. He had been  _planning_ this all evening?

"Don't hide from me. I want to see all of you," he whispered, holding your waist with his other hand as he manipulated one of your now erect nipples with his tongue. "You're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen,"

He wasn't holding anything back. You didn't know it just from lying there but he was taking his time and enjoying himself. He delighted in making you wait for what he knew you really wanted, in spite of knowing the pain it would cause you.

"Ah...!" you cried out as he released your waist from his hold, moving that hand to touch you in another place where you'd never had contact before.

"Shh..." he soothed, failing to hide the trace of a chuckle entwined with his voice. "We don't want to wake the entire household...As much as I would love to hear you scream..."

Heat shot through your body as he murmured this in your ear, biting it gently in the process. You were fairly sure that your face was a spectacular shade of red but you had little time to entertain those thoughts. Sebastian slowly kissed your lips as he inserted a finger into your body equally so. It was too stimulating for you to even bring yourself to care that it hurt, even with the addition of another finger and the introduction of movement.

"I don't mean that you should be silent, though..." he growled, nipping at your neck.

With no experience of men or sex you didn't know exactly what turned you on yet but you had to admit that  _everything_ he'd done so far was pushing you closer and closer to an abyss of what you could only assume was pleasure. And the demanding, bossy side of Sebastian was making it worse; his ideas of taking control were making you wild. To please him you allowed your previously stifled gasps of desire to escape your swollen, rosy lips. But you would have done that anyway, whether he wanted you to or not. It was too much to bear, to keep them in.

Without warning he stooped down and ran his tongue across your abdomen, watching as you writhed underneath him.  _"Damn her...I can't do this for much longer..."_ he thought desperately. The next thing you heard was a brief period of rustling and then before you knew it you were being set upon by the libidinous demon; he lifted you into his arms and set you back down on the bed with your head on the pillow. His red eyes had taken on a primal--in terms of demon-kind--fuchsia hue although red they remained, and his raven hair was in a ruffled, unkempt state.

You didn't know how you knew to do it or what made you even try, but your hand found its way towards his--impressive--length. Not that you knew much about the size of men's equipment but it definitely seemed like it could do a good job. As soon as you touched it, though, he loosed an almost savage growl from his throat and grabbed your wrist, pinning it to the pillow next to you.

"Don't,"

"I-I'm sorry..." you stuttered, looking away in shame. Maybe he didn't like it, you thought.

Instantly feeling the weight of what he'd just said and done, Sebastian returned to kissing your neck and took the opportunity to tell you why. "Because if you do, I would hate myself if I hurt you in my excitement..." he whispered, biting your earlobe again. Feeling your body heat up and your head turn to let you face him, you offered him a small, shy smile.

"Alright..." you said, understanding what he was getting at. After a couple more minutes, he didn't look like he could control himself any longer.

"May I?" he murmured, searching your eyes for signs of uncertainty and insecurity. You had been lying naked beneath him for quite some time now, growing more and more desperate for what he could provide you with. He found no such thing written on your face. As soon as you nodded, you tried to relax as he positioned himself at your entrance. He was a demon, so of course he didn't wait around. You gasped and flinched away as he entered you in his entirety, stretching your body to an almost unbearable limit.

"Ah...! Ow, ow, ow..." you whimpered, desperately trying to adjust to him. He didn't give you any time, losing himself to his own unholy urges. His eyes had changed completely and there was no doubt in your mind that he was everything you had suspected him of being. But it still didn't scare you. As he drove himself into you time and time again, the pain eventually subsided and you started to enjoy it more than you had even dreamed you would. Sounds of heavy breathing and skin against skin filled the room and you soon lost yourself in a world of unbridled, unparalleled and utterly sinful pleasure.

-

You awoke the next morning feeling as though you had been liberated, in a way. You smiled as the cold, bright sunlight streamed in and you felt the warmth from the fire which had clearly been stoked to keep it going. Your smile only brightened though as you saw the flower on the pillow beside you, where your lover might have been. Of course, you knew why he couldn't stay.

How suspicious would it have been if he emerged from your room at the same time as someone passed by? Very.

You rolled over and realised that you were still stark naked. It didn't matter anymore, but you pulled the sheets up anyway and picked up the beautiful flower. It was a red tulip. You thought back to what you knew the 'language of flowers' said about tulips. You lived in an era that was absolutely obsessed with sending flowers with the intention of conveying to their recipient a message, and you spoke this language quite well. You hoped that Sebastian did too...

The meaning of a red tulip is 'a declaration of love'. It was less obvious than a red rose, but just as lovely. Had you won the love of a demon, a creature that supposedly felt no such emotion? It was a fanciful thought, and one that made your heart flutter since it was Sebastian in question.

And then you remembered that he stayed true to his word. You smiled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, gorgeous readers!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed Chapter Twelve...I don't know how good I am at writing this sort of thing but I had a damn good stab at it! And I think most people enjoy a bit of action with Sebastian Michaelis... ;D
> 
> Chapter Thirteen is in the works; things are going to start revolving around you and your family history more than anything, but of course Sebby will be there too! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	13. New Year's Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have resolved to speak to your parents about a mysterious relic that you found in the mansion's library. It seems to concern your family and it has made you curious, as it seems to bear some significance to you. But your questions will have to coincide with a business visit from Earl Phantomhive, or wait until he goes home.
> 
> But the relic may concern you--specifically--more than you realise.

Maybe it was best to speak to your father. He knew more about the family's history than anybody else. Not that your mother didn't, but she'd married into the family so perhaps the lives of your ancestors weren't as well-known to her as your father. Your mind was all over the place as you walked, gripping the scrap of paper in your hand tightly as you went. You were heading for the salon where you knew you would be able to find your father.

"Father?" you called out from behind the door, knocking gently upon it. You could hear him inside and instantly wondered if he had a visitor.

"Come in, sweetheart," he called back, permitting you entry. You placed your hand upon the door handle and pushed it open. As soon as you were inside you saw who your father had been speaking to. You started in surprise, almost baulking towards the door again.

"Oh! Good day, Lord Phantomhive," you said, recognising the boy instantly. He sat elegantly upon the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, and the staff he always walked with was propped up on the furniture next to him.

"Good day, Lady (L/N)," he replied, offering you a small smile. You rarely saw him smile at anybody else; you considered that he did it out of politeness but it didn't bother you. It was nice to receive a smile every now and again. Then it occurred to you that wherever Ciel was, Sebastian was never far. You glanced around and spotted him a short distance away. His eyes were trained steadily on you and he smiled, bowing to you.

"Hello, Sebastian..." you said gently, trying desperately not to let your breath catch in your throat in your excitement at seeing him again.

"Hello, Miss (L/N),"

You noticed his formal use of your surname rather than your first name, presumably to avoid arousing suspicion in your father and Ciel. To be heard using your first name in greeting--during a meeting--could be construed as much too familiar. Of course you _were_ rather more familiar than anybody realised--you remembered very clearly the night you spent together, the first time you had lain with someone. After you had returned home, after the Christmas season, you had often received posies of various different flowers intended to convey different messages to you. You knew they were from Sebastian.

You didn't know where he kept getting these beautiful flowers from--most of them weren't even in season--but you did know that you adored the messages behind them, most or all speaking of love or a compliment. There had been simple flowers, such as red daisies which spoke of a beauty unknown to its possessor. You had blushed to receive them. Others included arbutus--"thee only do I love"--forget-me-not--"true love" and "memories"--as well as gloxinia and gladioli for "love at first sight" and "I am sincere" respectively. The beautiful colours of all of them had served to make them even more charming, and today you even wore one of the flowers in your hair--heliotrope for devotion--to match your light purple dress.

Sebastian noticed. He may have suppressed the smile that would have followed his recognition of those flowers but his eyes sparkled mischievously as he regarded you. You had been accepting his floral gifts just as you had accepted his advances and it brought him a sense of pride.

"What is the matter, my darling?" said your father, looking at you with expectant eyes. "You look troubled,"

You remembered what had happened the last time you had "looked troubled"; you had been seen right through and encouraged to speak out anyway. "I was just...wondering if I could ask you something, but...it can wait. I'm very sorry to have bothered you both," you said falteringly, but trying to maintain your composure. "Please excuse me,"

"Alright, bumblebee...I'll be sure to ask you about it later, yes?"

"Yes...Thank you, Father," you said, smiling and backing out of the room. Sebastian watched you go.

-

"Is the Lady alright?" asked Ciel when you closed the door behind you. "She seemed...worried,"

Your father rubbed his temple with his fingers as he propped his head up, elbow on the armrest of the sofa. He sat opposite the young Earl. "I don't know..." he sighed. "She's an enigma, that girl. I do worry about her myself sometimes...She spends so much time in thought that I begin to wonder what she starts conjuring up,"

Ciel smiled wryly. "An active imagination is not always such a bad thing," he said as though he knew from experience. He sounded rather sage in his contribution to the conversation.

Your father smiled a little as though unsure. "Not always..." he murmured. Ciel turned to Sebastian.

"Sebastian, if Lord (L/N) does not object, please go and see if Miss (F/N) is alright," he said decisively. He looked at your father, who nodded his permission.

After seeing the Lord of the house's quiet response, Sebastian bowed to both the Earl and the Marquess. "Yes, my Lord,"

-

You decided to go looking for your mother instead. Perhaps she would be able to give at least a cursory explanation for the strange artefact you'd recovered from the library. After being unable to find her anywhere else, you found yourself there again anyway so you sat down with a book and began leafing through the pages. Everything was so quiet in there; it was eerily beautiful in its quietness. The only sound in there was the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the other side.

Suddenly you were startled into almost dropping everything in your hands, book and piece of paper alike. You looked up, suddenly feeling rather skittish, but your racing heart was soon soothed by who you saw.

"Sebastian? What are you doing here?" you mumbled, putting the book to one side with the slip of paper between the pages. You smiled and stood to meet him.

"My master sent me to check on you," he said honestly, coming within reach of you. He didn't seem to have any intention of touching you, though. "We were quite worried,"

" _We?_ _"_ you asked out loud, questioning him. "What do you mean?"

"Your father, my young master, and myself," he said, smiling a little. He had rather hoped you wouldn't ask him that question; it was a little embarrassing.

"Oh, I see..." you murmured. You were a little disappointed that he hadn't tried to reach out to you yet. Would it fall to you to make that contact if he wouldn't? "I'm fine, anyway. Thank you for your concern..." You blushed a little and looked down at your feet. He smirked.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I don't know. I can't control it," you replied indignantly, and then realised the trap he had lured you into. He wanted to see if you still had that flame about you, the devilishness he'd seen in you the night he made love to you.

Sebastian felt an electric tingle crackle up his spine as he thought about it. You weren't the first woman he'd been with but he found that he wanted no other but you; you were far more than anything  _they_ could ever be. He'd given himself to that night with you so completely that he physically felt the bond he now had with you. He reached out, as he had been longing to do since he saw you enter the salon, and touched your soft (H/C) hair. He gently fondled the purple flowers in your hair with his long, slender fingers.

Ignoring your previous comment about being unable to control your blushing episodes, he spoke in a much gentler voice. "I am very happy to see you wearing these," he murmured. "It is like seeing you bear a mark of mine,"

Heat rushed through your body and you smiled shyly. "I do love them...Thank you so much..." you told him truthfully. You also loved the use of his suggestion that he had 'marked' you. But you had no idea of what he could really do, in that respect. At least, not until he showed you moments later. He leaned in and kissed your cheek, and then your jaw before moving to your lips. You relaxed into his affectionate gesture, leaning into his now very close body. He broke the kiss momentarily, only to return to kissing your jawline. You felt his fingers toying with the high neck of your dress and pull it down slightly, and gasped as he put his lips to the skin that was previously hidden from him. The new sensation of him sucking on the skin was peculiar and exhilarating all at once. Feeling the blood rushing to the surface, where he was kissing you, you put your arms around his neck and held him close.

When he seemed to be finished and ready to return to your lips, he smirked once again and studied the area he had just lavished affection upon. " _That_ is the kind of mark I would like to leave more often..." he growled, covering it up again with the neck of your dress.

"Sebastian, you...You're insatiable," you murmured, giggling as he pulled you flush against him and kissed you harder than before. 

"You only have yourself to blame," purred the demon. And he truly did sound demonic at that moment. There wasn't a single thing you didn't love about it. "Now why don't you tell me...what's troubling you?" He nipped at your jaw, enticing you to talk to him. In truth, you were just glad that he'd made the first move.

"N-nothing..." you lied, trying to hide the truth from him about the mysterious note you'd found in the library. You felt the corners of his lips curl upwards in another smirk.

"I would have hoped you wouldn't lie to me, my darling..." he chuckled, taking hold of your waist. He made a movement as though to kiss you again but quickly pulled back, holding you in place in front of him. "But if you'd rather not tell me you do not have to,"

You knew what his angle was but you succumbed anyway. He'd made you feel bad for lying to him; you felt guilty enough as it was. "Alright..." you said, sighing. "I found something about my family in the library a couple of weeks ago...I wanted to ask my father about it,"

"I see," Sebastian mused, using his thumb to gently rub your side. "Well I'm sure your father will be able to answer any questions you have about it,"

"Yes, I hope so," you said. You really did; it was concerning to say the least. You wanted to know why the artefact seemed to speak about you...Or at least someone eerily similar to you, in description.

Just then, Sebastian turned his head towards the door before looking sadly back at you. "My master is wondering where I am. I ought to return to him soon..."

"Ah, yes!" you exclaimed, remembering that he did--in fact-- still have a job to do. "I'm terribly sorry...I've kept you too long already..."

He seized your lips in a hot, passionate kiss. "I don't want you to apologise for enticing me away from him," he growled in between kisses, bestowing them upon you one after the other in rapid succession. "You are...my liberty,"

You froze still as he gave you one last peck on the lips. He smiled and left you alone in the library, leaving as silently as he came.

_"I am his "liberty"? What does he mean by that?"_ you thought as you watched him go. You traced your lips with your index finger, feeling the tingle of the demon's kiss. He had rendered you obsessed with him but you didn't mind. No matter how sinful it was to love him you couldn't help yourself.

You would speak to your mother soon about the note.

-

"Mother? Are you in here?" you called out to her, hearing somebody bustling around.

"Yes, dear, I'm just in the dressing room. Come in," she replied. She was looking for something; she was always quieter when she was looking for something. You walked into the room and saw her rifling through drawers and the pockets of various winter coats. "What is it, darling?" she said over her shoulder, sensing your presence.

"I was wondering if I could ask you about this..." you ventured, reaching out to her with the scrap of paper. She whirled around and looked at what you were holding out to her. Her eyes grew ever so slightly wider and you heard her suppress a gasp.

"Where did you find that, dear?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and level. She smiled at you as though it was an innocent object, but its inscriptions were anything but. You looked at it again.

**_The accursed family...Child of the day, and of night...Take his due from your bloodline...Peculiar abilities..._ **

"I found it in the library...It fell out of a book I was reading a couple of weeks ago," you said honestly. "I thought to ask father about it first but...I never could bring myself to..."

Your mother appeared to physically tremble. She reached out a shaky hand to take the paper from you. You handed it to her willingly and she began to analyse it. At last, she said, "Oh...This might just be one of your grandfather's ramblings...He was quite the wordsmith, you know,"

You smiled in remembrance of your old grandfather. It had been so many years since his passing...The happy memories brought a tear to your eye. Shaking the thought from your head before you could get too wistful about the past, you nodded your head in acceptance of what your mother was telling you. 

"Alright then," you said. "Thank you, Mother,"

"You're welcome, darling," she replied, smiling more strongly at you now. She folded the paper up and kept it tightly in her hand. You nodded to her and left her to her devices, knowing that she would still be looking for whatever it was she'd been rummaging around for earlier.

As you walked along the corridor, you heard a door close behind you. Turning a corner, you stopped and peeked back around. Your mother was hurrying back along the corridor in the opposite direction, and you could clearly see the note fluttering in her hand as she strode away.

You knew you were right not to believe her story about your grandfather's creative pursuits.

-

Later, you spotted Sebastian and Ciel walking in the corridors as you continued to hide behind corners and avoid your parents. You had a feeling that something was happening with them but you hadn't realised that Sebastian and the Earl had spotted you.

"What are you doing, Miss?" Ciel asked, coming up behind you all of a sudden. You jumped and turned around to face him.

"I'm..." You considered lying to him for a moment, and then realised that he was probably as astute as Sebastian anyway. There was nothing else for it but the truth. You trusted that Ciel wouldn't care enough to gossip to your father or mother about this. "I'm eavesdropping on my parents..." you whispered. Sebastian's eyes positively sparkled as you said this; the intrigue of you being a little spy on your own parents was too much for him to ignore.

"Why are you doing that?" said Ciel, frowning a little.

"N-never mind..." you said, swatting lightly at the air as though the matter was of little importance. "It's nothing," 

"Nothing indeed," chuckled the boy. "Well I wish you all the best with that. For now we must be returning to the meeting," 

You realised that Ciel and your father must have been taking a short break from the meeting. You nodded and smiled, allowing them to carry on their way. Your gaze and Sebastian's lingered for longer than was necessary; if Ciel had seen then he would surely have known that something was going on between you both.

Mere moments after the two had left your side, your parents appeared in the corridor just beyond the wall you were hiding behind. You listened carefully to what they were saying.

"I thought that we burned this...!" squeaked your mother, showing something to your father. There was silence, meaning your father was looking whatever your mother was holding over.

"We did...and so did my father. And his mother. And her mother. And her father...and..."

"I understand, my love..." said your mother. "I know what you are saying,"

"I feared that this would happen," whispered your father. "But she is a strong girl. I trust her because she is our daughter, and she has a beautiful soul,"

Your mother nodded. "Yes, but it is that soul which attracts them. They have been drawn to her ever since she was  _born_. A soul so pure...Untainted even by the 'family curse'..."

Your father embraced your mother and held her close. "Everything will be fine. She will know what to do when the time comes...She has already learned that she is capable of certain things,"

Your mother nodded again, against your father's chest. "She will be fine...Do you think, though, that we should tell her?"

Again, silence. Then your father was the one to nod. "Yes...We will tell her one day soon. If she has not learned the truth already, for herself..."

Your heart, you were sure, was no longer beating. To think that your parents had known this for years and had never said a word about it to anybody. It made you doubt everything you knew to be true now. You were not a normal young woman; you were possessed of certain 'abilities', as your father had worded it. And someone was attracted to you for your soul...and the only beings you could think of who were attracted to something like that were demons and angels.

You wondered about the motive behind Sebastian wanting to be close to you with an aching, almost breaking, heart.

-

Sebastian stood on the balcony above the corridor in which Lord and Lady (L/N) spoke, and just above where (F/N) hid from them eavesdropping. He shook his head in disbelief; he had always known, from the moment he saw the Marquess' daughter, that she had the purest soul that he had ever come across. It stood to reason that other demons would be attracted to it, to consume it, but again he shook his head--more vigorously this time.

He couldn't do that to you.  _"To take such a beautiful soul would be the same as picking a flower...It would eventually wilt and die. Flowers remain beautiful when they are left to bloom,"_ he thought. She had to be preserved, even if their activities from Christmas Day were as sinful and forbidden as all the tales told.

While your soul contributed to your beauty, that was not what made him love you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Chapter Thirteen was designed to add a little more intrigue to the story, and it certainly looks like Sebastian is more fascinated by you than ever before! Sorry this was quite a long chapter, though! Stay tuned for the next instalment! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	14. Protective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After overhearing your parents' conversation about you, you seriously begin to consider that there may well be forces far older and far more complex at work than you had previously imagined. You continue to think about everything they said, but your ponderings will have to wait...You've received another party invitation, this time at the estate of someone you've never met... Earl Alois Trancy.
> 
> Now is your chance, you think, to prove once and for all that you can handle yourself at grand social events. Maybe it is also a chance to find some proof to supplement your parents' discussion...

_"A costume ball..."_ you thought, making your way towards the front door of the rather exquisite building before you.  _"How...unique,"_ You had never been to a costume party before, and you'd never been to the Trancy estate, either. You didn't even know that Earl Alois Trancy was a real person, but that didn't matter anymore. You'd received an invitation from him to attend the party being held at his manor, and so you had gratefully--and dutifully--accepted. You felt a need to prove that you were capable of doing this sort of thing on your own, now.

Still, you hoped that  _somebody_ familiar would be there with you. There was always Dolly, anyway.

"Are you alright, my Lady?" she asked, voice tinged with concern. You realised that you hadn't said a word for the longest time...It must have made for a rather awkward journey. "You're awfully quiet..."

"I'm fine, Dolly--thank you," you said, ascending the stone steps to the grand front entrance. As soon as you arrived there you noticed the spider insignia in various places on the archway. It piqued your interest, however spooky you found arachnids in all their forms. There was something about this place that seemed spooky altogether. You couldn't place it just yet, though. You heard the carriage you had arrived in move off from its parking spot and off towards the back of the manor where it would be stowed away in the coach house. Your driver, who was a servant of your household, would have to enter the mansion through the back where the rest of the servants went and take the few belongings you and Dolly had brought with you inside with him. It made you feel quite bad for him. 

You brought Dolly with you to the front of the house because she was your personal maid, just as Ciel would have Sebastian with him everywhere he went. You were about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened before your knuckles could make contact with the wood. You stood there in shock, staring up at the person who had answered the non-existent knock.

He was a very tall, dark and handsome man with very sharp golden eyes. Those eyes glinted at you from behind a pair of spectacles that--it was clear to you--he didn't really need. You took immediate notice of his almost alabaster skin and his hair, the colour of midnight. He was almost-- _almost_ \--as handsome as Sebastian. This man, though, seemed determined to keep his eyes on you.

A chill ran up your spine. You knew what it was about this place that was so ominous.

It was again the presence of demons, and more than just one. You weren't sure how you felt about that, considering what you'd heard your parents saying before. They hadn't expressly said the word 'demons' but you had deduced it for yourself that this is what they had been referring to. You weren't scared, for some totally obscure reason, and met the the gaze of the man before you.

"Welcome to Trancy Manor, my Lady," he said, in an extremely smooth, deep voice. He sounded almost relaxed in the way he spoke to you but that was alright; it was just how he seemed to have expected  _you_ at that precise moment. "You must be the daughter of Marquess (L/N)?"

"I am," you said. "It is a pleasure to meet you,"

He bowed to you before stepping aside to allow you across the threshold rather than keeping you there on the doorstep. "The pleasure is mine," he said calmly. "Please do come inside,"

"Thank you, sir..."

"Claude Faustus. Your ladyship may call me by my first name," he said, bowing to you once again. He was almost as courteous as Sebastian, as well. You couldn't help making the comparisons, but you supposed it was because they were the same...species. Very little escaped your notice in this regard. Dolly seemed perfectly calm behind you, making sure that you remained happy and comfortable, although it was the host's responsibility to do this for his guests. Not that you, or Dolly, liked to be presumptuous in this respect. You looked around, wondering where the Earl was.

"O-oh! Um...Very well..." you stammered, remembering yourself. You always greeted butlers, maids and servants as you would a noble or gentleman or woman. "Please accept my apologies, Claude...It is a habit of mine..."

His golden eyes merged with your (E/C) ones. He didn't smile but you could almost see it dancing behind those piercing orbs of his. "My master and I had heard of your being a lady of exceptional manners and grace," he said quietly, straightening up completely. "You do not have to apologise, my Lady,"

You relaxed a little bit and followed him as he started to lead you away. You weren't sure where he was taking you but you went with him nevertheless.

"You will have to excuse my master for now...He is away on business but he will return later for the party," said Claude, walking around a corner. "For now you can join the other guests in the drawing room for refreshments,"

"Thank you very much," you said, as confidently as you could. After all, you were trying to make it look like you knew what you were doing, while being an ambassador for your family. "I greatly look forward to meeting your master,"

Claude opened a door for you just as you said that and smiled down at you, a small twist of the corners of his lips. "I am sure he will be delighted to meet you also, my Lady," he said. "For now, here is the drawing room,"

You thanked him and walked inside, where you were immediately set upon by an overexcited, bouncing blonde bubble of a girl. "(F/N)!" she cried, snuggling the side of her head up against yours. "I've missed you so much! I haven't seen you since Christmas!"

"Oh, hello Lizzie!" you said, hugging her back. You loved this girl to pieces but sometimes she was a little too boisterous in her greetings. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just...inconvenient, at times. "How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you!" she tittered, squeezing you even harder. "Look who else is here!" She quickly let go of you and pointed at two people occupying the other side of the room. Your eyes lit up to see Sebastian and Ciel were there with you as well. Perhaps it wouldn't be so awkward after all.

"Hello, Earl Phantomhive and Sebastian," you said, giving a very small curtsy. You were extremely excited to see Sebastian, considering that there may be opportunity for a dance later on in the evening. They both offered you a small smile, although Sebastian's was accompanied by the recognition one has in their eyes when seeing their lover. You felt your body grow warm as he did so.

"Good day to you, Lady (L/N)," said Ciel before offering you a seat opposite him and next to Lizzie. You saw Lizzie's maid Paula nearby as well as Sebastian, and realised with happiness that Dolly would not feel out of place now.

You did not see what was going on behind you, though, as you took your seat opposite Ciel and Dolly brought you a drink.

-

 _"You wouldn't dare..."_ thought Sebastian, glaring at Claude. He knew that the other demon was after Ciel's soul, but to have his eye on (F/N) as well was much too audacious. He had seen Claude watching you as you moved away from the door to sit opposite Ciel. It made Sebastian feel sick.

Claude chuckled--almost silently--to himself.  _"This should be interesting..."_ he thought.

-

There was a great deal of noise going on downstairs and you were just about ready to get out there yourself. Dolly was ready, dressed as...a doll, of course, and you turned to her after putting the finishing touches on your costume.

"What do you think?" you asked nervously, patting your clothes down.

"I think you look fabulous!" she said without a trace of dishonesty. You smiled; you could always count on her to make you feel better. You had gone with the idea of dressing up as a storybook character, and had chosen Puss in Boots. You wore makeup that not only made your eyes look very feline in nature but you had also used black to draw a little kitty nose on the end of your own, as well as lines for your lips and dots where cat whiskers would be. You wore a black fedora with a bright yellow plume and for the rest of your outfit you had chosen a white blouse, a black waistcoat--both of which had turned out to come a little too low for comfort at your chest but there was nothing to be done now--and black breeches with long, black boots. Topped off with a rapier you felt as though you had done rather well with your outfit. You hadn't forgotten about the little cat ears you wore on a headband under your hat, in case the hat came off, and the tail you had made to poke through a tiny hole in your breeches. You wanted it to look authentic, at least.

"Thank you..." you said to Dolly, hugging her. "You look wonderful yourself,"

"Thank you, Mistress," she said, curtsying to you this time. She really did look like a little porcelain doll.

You made your way out to the ballroom where everything was underway and the party was in full swing. You could see all sorts of people milling around, including Lizzie and Paula, and Ciel. Sebastian was nearby, which gave you courage, but he was not in fancy dress. It was something you would have liked to have seen but no matter. Ciel was dressed as a pirate and Lizzie as a Native American girl. Paula was dressed in a rather skimpy Egyptian queen outfit, something you admired her for because it was daring to say the least.

You glanced down at your own cleavage and realised that it was indeed showing almost as much as Paula's was. Or indeed as much as the Trancy maid's was. You eyed her with jealousy as you realised that she was much the same as Claude and Sebastian--a demon. She was very beautiful and it made you feel a little like Jean Guillaume's sister had. Except the maid was a demon. You wondered if she was attractive to Sebastian...

Shaking those thoughts from your head you decided to go downstairs. As you went, you spotted Baldroy, Mey-Rin and Finnian dressed as the three creatures from the Journey to the West, as well as Prince Soma and Agni dressed as a detective and his sidekick--respectively--and Lau and Ran-Mao dressed as...an Oriental man and a geisha, you thought. Ran-Mao's outfit was very elaborate and beautiful, though, you felt.

You were not oblivious to the attention suddenly turned on you, though, as you walked into the room with Dolly in tow. Bard spat out his cigarette and Finny blushed bright pink. You suppressed your own blush, trying to remain calm in this situation. You were there without the help of your parents, so you had to do this right. You smiled at the Phantomhive servants and they smiled--shyly--back. You were gaining confidence.

You didn't hear what anybody was saying but you started to speak to Lizzie anyway, who had come barrelling over to you with great speed. You gave all of your attention to what she seemed so happy to tell you about while everyone around you continued with what they'd been doing before.

"However will you control yourself now, Sebastian?" Ciel taunted, glancing up at his butler.

Sebastian dragged his eyes away from you as he heard his master speak. "Whatever do you mean by that, Young Master?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Well attracted to her as I know you are, I would think that the last thing she needs to do is dress up like a  _cat_ , of all creatures. Surely that must make it difficult for you?" sneered the boy. He loved teasing Sebastian, now that he knew what to use against him. Even if he hadn't actually admitted that he liked the young Lady (L/N), Ciel could practically see it written all over the demon's face.

"It is a rather fetching costume," he replied, almost too calmly. "But I can assure you that I have no idea to what you could possibly be referring, my Lord. Control? I am perfectly under control of myself,"

"So you do like her, then?"

"She is a pleasant young woman," said the demon. Then, to himself,  _"Oh, if only you knew the truth of the matter,"_ he thought. Ciel could not know the truth of Sebastian's attraction to the Marquess' daughter; it had gone far beyond a mere spark.

It had erupted into an inferno.

He watched you moving around the room with Lizzie, admiring your choice of outfit. The steep neckline was a nice feature, too, although he felt certain that it was not worn on purpose. His eyes swept over your body, examining your curves in that ensemble and remembering with fire in his heart and soul how you looked underneath those clothes. Oh, the things he wanted to do to you, seeing you like that...

His attention was drawn away from you briefly by Claude entering the room. He seemed to spot you instantly, and not Sebastian. One would have thought that he would be more wary of the other male demon in the room besides the triplets. You would have had to be a fool not to notice that those three were as ungodly as the rest. They were very quiet and polite, though. You didn't have a problem with any of the demons in the room at all.

Sebastian glared hotly at Claude, who soon met the red-eyed demon's blistering gaze. He ignored him and proceeded to speak to you instead. Little did you realise at the time that his main motive for doing so was to enrage Sebastian almost to the point of losing his head over it.

"Good evening, my Lady. How are you enjoying yourself?" said Claude, bowing to you once again.

You smiled a little, turning away from Lizzie. "Good evening, Claude. The party has been very enjoyable indeed, thank you," you said, giving him your honest opinion. Still you wondered where Earl Trancy was. You decided not to ask that question, fearing that it would be deemed to be very impertinent.

"I am glad to hear it," he said in an even smoother tone of voice. You noticed him glance upwards suddenly, and you turned to see what he was looking at. You could not be sure, because there was nothing of any particular interest in the direction he had been looking. If only you had looked a moment earlier, the throngs of dancing people would not have been there and you would have seen the filthy looks that Sebastian was shooting in Claude's direction.

Just then you heard a loud, high-pitched voice ring out above the rest. You looked up to see a boy with very light blonde hair and very blue eyes standing in the centre of the ballroom. The music had stopped, temporarily, and you saw that he was dressed either like a vampire or a very fluffy, purple bat. He was quite a cute little thing, you thought, until you realised that  _this_ was the young Earl Trancy. He couldn't have been much older than Ciel...

"Welcome, everyone, to Trancy Manor! I am so glad you could all be here tonight!" the boy announced. "I am Earl Trancy, head of the household, and I very much hope that you will all enjoy your evening here! I apologise for not being here sooner,"

He was a very eloquent young man but you realised that there was a tint of something else there. Something almost like he hadn't always lived the life of a young nobleman. You watched him closely as he gave his little speech, and clapped along with everybody else after he finished. He made his way over to Ciel, though, and you thought that perhaps they were friends. After close inspection of Ciel's expression, you concluded that this was most certainly  _not_ the case.

You kept your distance for a while, until Alois approached Lizzie who was still stood beside you, chattering away. His original target had been Lizzie, but now he had realised who you were.

"Oh, goodness!" he exclaimed, slapping a hand to his face. "I am so very sorry, my Lady--we have not yet met, have we?"

"Good evening, my Lord," you said with a smile on your face. "No, I do not believe we have,"

"How rude of me...I apologise once again," he said, with what seemed to be genuine regret. You thought, though, that perhaps this Earl was slightly less sincere than Ciel. "I am Alois, Earl Trancy," He offered you his hand to shake. It was more appropriate of a younger boy to do this.

"A pleasure to meet you at last, my Lord," you said, shaking his hand. "I am (F/N), daughter of Marquess (L/N),"

"The pleasure is mine," he replied, repeating Claude's words from earlier on. You chatted with him and Lizzie for a little while longer, until suddenly Alois was taken by great fancy. The music had changed to a piece he apparently liked a great deal.

"Lady Midford, may I have this dance?" he asked, turning to Lizzie. She didn't look too sure about the offer, knowing that Ciel was well within view of the dancing scene, but before she could give an answer Alois had taken her by the hand and wheeled out onto the dance floor with her. You shook your head and, with an awkward smile, considered what an eccentric young man Earl Trancy was.

You continued to watch the spectacle unfold, just as you were surprised to hear someone else's voice ring out from behind you. You turned and saw Claude standing very close to you.

"I'm terribly sorry, Claude..." you said remorsefully. "I did not hear what you said,"

"I asked if I may have this dance also," he said collectedly, offering you his hand. You were certain that you now wore the same expression as that which had been on Lizzie's face moments before, thinking about how Sebastian was just on the other side of the room. However, the same situation arose with you as with Lizzie, and Claude took your hand before you could say a word. "Do not fear..." he purred. "It is just a dance,"

As he spun you around and waltzed with you in that beautifully lit and decorated ballroom, you realised that he, too, was a spectacularly good dancer. Perhaps it came with all the years that went under one's belt  _being_ a demon, you thought. They would surely have had many years to practice. Another spin, and you caught Sebastian's eye. He was not smiling, and did not look at all pleased. You flashed him a look with your own eyes, one that told him that you needed help. Claude was very strong and very solid under your hands, and it did not feel as though he would let you go so easily if it transpired that you wanted to get out of there.

Not that you felt threatened by him, particularly. You were just acutely aware of Sebastian's menacing stare bearing down on the demon dancing with you.

The dance ended and Claude kissed your hand. You shivered a little at his cold touch, cold even through his white gloves. At that moment, you felt sure that you sensed Sebastian's anger rise several levels. It made you happy, for a moment, to consider that you were in tune with him enough to know how he was feeling. When Claude released your hand, you smiled politely at him and watched as he took his leave. Lizzie hurried back over to you after her own dance with Alois.

"Well that was rather peculiar!" she cried, stopping at your side. "I'm fairly certain that Ciel disliked that..."

"I don't think a certain someone was very happy with my own dance with Claude..." you told her. You could not tell her who, though.

"Oh dear..." sighed Lizzie. "It would seem that we are both in a tricky spot..."

"It would indeed..."

"No matter!" said the breezy girl, now heading off to get herself a drink. "I will be back in a moment!"

You smiled to yourself and nodded, preparing yourself to wait for her return. A moment turned into a minute, and a minute turned into five. Then you realised that Lizzie had gotten herself embroiled in a conversation with Prince Soma and that was that. Two of the biggest chatterboxes in the entire room--you would not be seeing Lizzie again in conversation for a little while. You looked across the room and saw that Ciel and Alois were talking--probably not amiably--but both of their butlers were absent. You wondered at that and decided to go hunting for them.

-

Outside in the cool evening air, you looked down the hill and saw a gap in the trees a short distance away. Through that gap you could see water, which you assumed was a pond or lake of some description. You began to walk towards it, and when you were finally between the gap in the trees you heard calm but obviously angry voices resounding above the light wind.

"You cannot have everything for yourself, Michaelis," growled Claude crossly, eyes glinting savagely at Sebastian in the dusk.

"I don't," snarled Sebastian. "It just so happens that everything you want is mine to begin with,"

"Neither Ciel nor (F/N) are yours," snapped the first demon.

You froze stock still again to hear your name being used in such a blatantly heated conversation. You didn't know what to do, so you just stayed very still and very quiet.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, my friend," said Sebastian, clearly being sarcastic when he called Claude his 'friend'. "They are mine. My young master's soul, which I have so carefully cultivated in the time I have spent in his service, will be mine because of our contract. And Miss (F/N)...Well..."

"Go on," growled Claude. "I'm waiting for you to give a proper answer, this time. She is...very pure. That kind of soul does not simply grow on trees. You must want that for yourself as well, no doubt?"

Sebastian chuckled darkly. "That is where another line can be drawn between you and I. I will not take her soul, but you would without a second thought,"

"And who are you to--,"

Claude stopped all of a sudden and raised his head to the sky. You could see both demons through a gap in the leaves of the trees and your heart stopped beating in your chest. You might have fainted if not for your instinct to run...Which also happened to not be working at that moment in time. 

"What?" snapped Sebastian.

"She is here," murmured Claude, looking straight at you through the trees. "Come over here, my dear. We won't hurt you,"

Somehow you didn't believe him, but you trusted Sebastian. He whirled around to look where Claude was looking, and spotted you as well. He offered you a reassuring smile, but you still knew that you shouldn't have been there. He asked you why you had followed them anyway, as you timidly came out from your hiding spot to stand beside him.

"I was worried about you...You just vanished from the house..."

He sighed and put a hand on your arm, rubbing it gently. "You need not worry about us," he said soothingly. "I would just hate for you to have seen anything more violent," he added, growling slightly at Claude.

"So you would fight for this human, then?" snorted the other demon. "Is that what she means to you?"

"Of course. She is my mate; I will protect her,"

Your heart leaped in your chest at his words, and Claude seemed to shrink away from you both. Sebastian considered you to be his mate? You hadn't thought about what that might mean but you assumed that it wasn't bad...

"You've condemned that girl to Hell," snarled Claude. Then he laughed cruelly. "You really are a fool, Sebastian,"

"Have I?" said Sebastian with a smirk. "Then tell me why her soul is still so pure,"

You looked between the two demons and realised that you had no idea what they were really talking about. You wished you knew but then again you were almost glad that you didn't. Your blood turned to ice in your veins, though, as you heard Claude's next remark.

"Well you had better do everything in your power to protect her from now on, Michaelis. I'm probably not the only one you have to keep an eye on,"

Claude walked past you both and continued on to the mansion. You both watched him go, but your attention was seized back by Sebastian wrapping his arms around you from behind. "I've missed you..." he growled in your ear. "And I don't want to see anybody else touching you like that...Especially not him,"

"I-I've missed you too, and I'm sorry about that...He didn't give me a chance to object,"

"It wasn't your fault. I was just stating a warning," he said, smirking against the skin of your neck. He kissed you there and ran one hand down your body, not stopping until he reached your cat's tail. "Did I ever tell you how much I love cats?" he asked, nuzzling at your neck this time.

"N-no..."

"Well I do...They are delightful creatures, but..."

"But?"

" _You_ are positively marvellous," he whispered, kissing your cheek now. "You are something else entirely,"

"Mm...Sebastian!" you bleated, jumping slightly as he caressed your bottom. He held you in place with his arm across your chest and pinched your backside a little more roughly than you had expected. You found that you did not dislike it. "We can't do this here!"

"Where can we do it, my Lady? Tell me," His voice was filled with such longing that it could have set you on fire with how excited it made you. He had you _aching_ for him.

"J-just...Not here," you stuttered, uncertain of what to do in this situation. He was ravenous, insatiable and lustful and also spurred on by the anger that Claude had caused him.

"Then let me take you to a place where we  _can_..." he said, dropping his voice to a low, almost inaudible rumble. "I am going to purge you of anything that is not me or you..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my beauties!
> 
> Hope you're enjoying the story so far; I thought it might be good to wind our darling Sebby up a little, see what happens...I think it's safe to say the reaction was definitely...revealing ;) 
> 
> Chapter Fifteen is coming soon so stick around for some more!
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	15. Bold as Brass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprised by Sebastian's forwardness, you find yourself wondering what exactly he has in store for you as he leads you away from his place of confrontation with Claude. Determined to make an indisputable claim on you, your lover reveals to you how truly voracious his appetite is for you.
> 
> You might even learn a more outrageous truth about yourself along the way.

You entered through the window of a quiet, unlit room. It was a guest bedroom, you noticed, and a great distance from the party still underway downstairs. You hadn't expected Sebastian to pick you up and  _jump_ with you to the second floor of Trancy Manor. You had a feeling that he was going to keep proving to you, in all sorts of different ways, the true nature of his existence. You wondered why.

"Sebastian, what are you--," you started, turning around to face him. He cut you off quickly with a kiss so strong he almost knocked you over. "Sebastian!"

He scooped you up off your feet again and made you straddle his body. The light of the moon was weak but not so weak that you couldn't see him; it cast a pallid glow over him and everything in the room. "I've been burning for you..." he growled, attacking your neck with fast, passionate kisses. He held you to him by placing his hands on your bottom, suspending you there while he showered kiss after kiss upon you. "Please don't make me wait any longer,"

Your face and entire body felt as though they had caught fire in the instant his words met your ears. You wrapped your arms around the back of his neck and threw your head back, losing your fedora in the process. Goodness only knows how you had managed to retain it all this time. He kissed your neck, your throat, and your collarbone. His lips trailed down from there, down your chest and eventually came to kiss your cleavage, exposed to him in that ill-fitting shirt and waistcoat combination you wore. You were so lost in the moment that you almost didn't feel him start to move across the room with you.

Seconds later you were faced with the unexpected. You were at the edge of the room's double bed, but Sebastian did not lie you down softly upon it as he had the first time he made love to you. He tossed you onto the bed instead, almost dropping you roughly upon the linen sheets. Before you could even gather your senses, he was on top of you and unbuttoning the top half of your body, straddling you this time.

"I want to see you...in all your glory," he growled, stripping you of your shirt and waistcoat. You shivered with anticipation. "As much as I hate to say it..." he went on, leaning down to you to kiss the soft skin between your breasts and licking your stomach as though you were a delicious little treat. "I believe that you were sculpted by angels,"

Your breathing went ragged and your chest juddered with excitement as you felt his tongue sliding across your skin. He was an animal, almost, tasting you like that. "W-what?"

"You heard me..." he murmured, gently sucking the skin just below your left breast. "Goddesses would envy your beauty,"

You let out a small whine of pleasure and appreciation as he turned his attention towards your breasts themselves, toying with one while kissing the other with his soft, sinful lips. You writhed underneath him, willing him to show to you his beautiful body, that which would make the greatest idols in existence seem ordinary and uninteresting. You seriously considered asking him to undress, to hurry the process along, but stopped yourself.

"And..." he purred, returning to your lips for one long, lingering kiss. "...I will answer all of your questions in good time,"

So he knew that something was playing on your mind. You shouldn't have been surprised. As he kissed up and down your body you entangled your fingers in his hair and gently pulled, evoking from him a satisfied, appreciative hum of approval. His hands wandered lower on your body and rid you of both the sword still at your hip and the boots and breeches you wore. He left you in your underwear as he began tearing his own clothes off at an increased speed, his pace becoming almost frantic as he watched you lying there in your panties, complete with cat ears and makeup. It was getting to be too much for him; you could see it in his eyes, flashing from red to fuchsia every so often.

"Put your boots back on,"

You were somewhat startled by his demand. "I'm sorry...?"

"Put your boots back on," he repeated, continuing in the same tone of voice. There was not an ounce of impatience to be heard, but you could tell that he was getting desperate. The way he trembled every so often as he held himself back was enough to tell you the whole story. You nodded and did as you were told, not knowing the reason behind him wanting you to wear footwear again.

It then occurred to you that you had read about something similar to this before, in a book you shouldn't really have come across in the library at your home. It was quite old, so clearly your parents hadn't known about it. It made you feel a little less guilty for reading such depraved literature...But now that you were living it, it didn't seem quite so bad.

You looked back to see that Sebastian had stripped right down to his trousers, and you couldn't deny to yourself that you had indeed seen the bulge in his nether regions. You gulped back a lump in your throat as you thought about what that meant for you. He was ready for you, just like you knew you were for him. The dampness in your underwear was proof enough of that. He had reduced you to a wanton wreck, although you held it together for disguise.

As soon as your boots were back on, and the confusion had clearly faded from your visage, he grabbed you by both wrists and pinned you to the bed. Your back was flat against the luxuriously soft mattress and yet he raised your hips to meet his by slipping his arm underneath the small of your back. He drew a circle against your hips with his, forcing a moan from deep within you. He smirked against your lips as he kissed you deeply, holding your hands above your head once again with one hand. Your lips parted ever so slightly, which he took as an invitation. He pushed his tongue into your mouth and began exploring you in this new--and not unpleasant--way. You found that his tongue could dance as brilliantly as he could. You closed your eyes and relaxed into the love he was lavishing upon you.

"Are you sure...?" you gasped, seeing nothing but the darkness of the insides of your eyes but feeling everything that he was doing to your body. "This is somebody else's house..."

"Sure as Hell," he growled back, kissing your hip bone. You jumped at the touch of his lips so far down your body, not having realised that he'd found his way down there already. You trembled at his reference to Hell; it was so damn seductive...

Just then he came up without any warning and wound something around your wrists. Your eyes snapped open and you looked up, seeing your hands bound with something soft and black, and also tied to the headboard of the bed. Before you could say anything at all, Sebastian returned to your hips and kissed you, licked you, then took the waistband of your panties between his teeth and dragged them away from your body, down your legs and over your boots. He tossed them aside like an animal would as it ripped something apart. He was going to  _devour_ you.

You struggled a little against your bindings as you watched him move, crawling back towards you on all fours. Before he reached you, though, he dropped back down faster than you could react and kissed your most sensitive spot. You squeaked in surprise as you felt his warm, wet tongue meet your slick folds. Blood rushed hotly to your face with great embarrassment; you hid your face behind one of your bound arms, biting into the skin so as to stop yourself from vocalising your pleasure. It was too shameful...

"Why don't you say anything, my love?" he purred, licking the inside of one of your thighs. You flinched as he quickly--gently--nipped the sensitive skin there. "You don't have to be so shy..." When you still refused to make a sound, he thrust two fingers inside of you to draw it out of you. And draw it out of you he did--you cried out so loudly that you had to bite down on your bottom lip to subdue the otherwise inevitable scream. The pain in your lip and wet sensation that followed told you immediately that you were bleeding.

Sebastian crept up to you and gazed into your eyes. You saw his smirk and knew that he was enjoying himself immensely. He lay almost completely on top of you with his hands on either side of your body, and you were loving every second of your time with him. His eyes shifted to the blood now dribbling down your chin a little, pooling in the corner of your mouth, and he came in close to kiss you. You had thought that he would taste like you after caressing you with his tongue previously but he didn't. You felt his tongue snake out again and lick your chin, trailing upwards to catch all of the blood on your face until finally reaching your lips again. He drew his tongue slowly, seductively, along your bottom lip until you whined for him again.

"What's the matter, darling? Do you want me?"

"D-don't say things like that!" you protested, face flooding totally pink.

He chuckled darkly, rubbing your sides to make you squirm. "You're such an adorable little kitten..." he murmured, now stroking your face with one slender, gloveless finger. "I've got all the answers I need anyway...Right...here..." he added, using his other hand to stroke your exposed womanhood. You were dripping wet and you turned your blushing face away in shame. The hand that had been caressing your cheek a moment earlier suddenly seized your chin to force you to face him. "I want to see your beautiful face...Your eyes...Everything," he said, voice almost a gasp for air. He had no earthly idea how he was so in control of himself, teasing you like this.

You didn't see it as teasing. It felt more like  _torture_.

"You please me greatly..." he groaned, studying your face contorted with pleasure as he rubbed the sensitive ball of nerves in your southern regions, the sweet little bulb of your flower. "...This incredible wetness...You  _do_ want me, don't you... _Kitten_?"

His pet name for you made you throb even more, hips twitching uncontrollably as you silently begged for him to take you. He still was not entirely unclothed, against your wishes and desires. His smirk only widened when he spotted the desperation in your eyes.

"Oh my...What a naughty little lady I've fallen for..." he murmured thoughtfully, gazing deep into your eyes. Your heart pounded harder--did he just say he'd fallen for you? "You may have to be punished, little one...I think you might like it if I was a little _rougher_..."

You whimpered like the wanton little wretch you were at the sound of his lustful voice purring in your ear. He was despicable in all the best possible ways. You had never imagined such blissful pleasure before...Anything you may have read about in forbidden, shameful books you had never considered would be attainable for you. For you, you had always imagined a normal life, a normal wedding, and a traditional, vanilla sex life far less adventurous than what was happening now. With a demon. You always reminded yourself of that; it stoked the fire in your heart even more.

"Please..." you gasped, unable to withstand any more of this tension.

His eyes flashed dangerously and his smirk turned to a wild grin of excitement. You gave as much as you got, even when you couldn't move. "What did you just say?" he growled, in an equally dangerous voice.

"I said...please..." you panted, wiggling your hips to indicate to him where you wanted him. "Please... _please..._!"

Sebastian let loose a feral snarl as he lost control, stripping himself free of all clothing and flipping you over onto your front with minimal effort. You lost your breath as he plunged himself deep inside you, his body coming into direct contact with yours as nothing separated you any longer. First you uttered a squeak with his first thrust, skin slapping loudly against skin. Next you lost a whimper from your lips as he did it again. Everything that followed came in rapid succession, fast and rough and hard. Still tied to the bed you tried to support yourself with the strength you had in your body, and the way your lover held your hips.

"I  _will_ make you scream," he said. You almost didn't recognise his voice in the midst of all this passion. " _Scream_ ," 

The demands he made of you time and time again only made you wetter, and the slap he administered to your bare behind really did make you scream. It stung at first, but it dawned on you that it was something you enjoyed.

"S-Sebastian!" you cried, trying not to crumple under his powerful thrusts. "I--,"

He slapped you again, knowing what you were trying to say. You screamed again, and he slapped you again. He did it until your skin was red and stinging, until you were panting and almost in tears with pleasure. He came forward and fondled your breasts, making you sing with euphoria. His other hand let go of your hips and suddenly you found yourself face-down in the sheets. He had released your hands from their binding--which turned out to have been his necktie--and now he was pulling you up to his body. Flush against him, he continued to drive himself into you while holding you up, tilting your head to the ceiling by holding your neck. The sensation was just too much...The first wave hit you, then the second...Finally you gave a short, juddering cry of ecstasy and it washed over you; you thought you would die in that moment but Sebastian held you up.

You saw nothing but blackness, and heard nothing but a sharp hiss as Sebastian released inside of you. You were warm inside anyway but the hot seed inside you now was even warmer. He flipped you back over and lay on top of you, both of you panting and slightly perspiring. He kissed your lips and gently sucked on the lower one, before pulling away and smiling.

"Now I'll answer your first question..." he murmured, sliding down your body and kissing you just below your breast where he had done the same thing earlier. You squealed in pain as suddenly a sharp sting jolted into you. He had bitten you, hard, but when you looked down you saw a dark purple mark forming. "You  _are_ my mate,"

Your heart began pounding harder, knowing that this was a demon's way of truly taking you to be by their side. But it didn't upset you; it made you extremely happy. "...Really?" you sighed, snuggling into him as he came to lie by your side. "But...what does that mean, exactly?"

"You're the only one I'll ever love, and the only one I can be with. I will protect you at any cost...It is an unbreakable bond," he told you, speaking in an unmistakably tender voice. "I...hope you can be content with this...Your thoughts seem to indicate as much,"

You nodded and smiled up at him. "I am more than content to be your mate..." you said gently. "But...what about what Claude said...?"

"Claude is a fool. A soul as pure as yours cannot be tainted; you will not be condemned to Hell," he growled, angry at the other demon for worrying you.

You cuddled up to him even more and smiled to yourself. If Hell meant being with Sebastian, surely it wouldn't be as bad as all that. "Are you not interested in my soul?"

"Of course I am," he said honestly. He felt you flinch but held you still in his arms. "What kind of a demon would I be if I wasn't? But I cannot do that to you; you heard me tell Claude as much. And I have already told you that I cannot hurt you..."

You remembered your kiss on Christmas Day just after he'd told you this. Your memories of it were crystal clear. "I feel safe with you," you told him.

You didn't see it but Sebastian smiled. "I am glad to hear it. I will always protect you," he said gently.

As you lay there--on someone else's bed, you remembered--you realised that you would have to get up and get dressed, and return to the party downstairs soon. But not yet. Sebastian held you in his arms as though you might break at any second, and you lay with your head resting upon his warm chest.

Your heart soared as you listened to his beating underneath you. He may have been a demon, but his heart still beat for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter...I thought we call all do with a healthy dose of vitamin Sebastian ;) Nothing like scoring a bit of alone time with our favourite butler before continuing on with the story ;) Sorry it took so long to post a new chapter today--it's been quite a hectic day!
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	16. The Terrible Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have been left with a rosy afterglow of happiness after you and Sebastian gave yourselves to each other. After returning to the party at Alois Trancy's estate, there are suddenly some serious and curious questions being levelled at you. Where have you been? What were you doing? Why did you disappear for so long?
> 
> You don't know why but you begin to feel faint. Was it the situation getting you flustered? Then you see something that makes you certain that it isn't the awkwardness of confrontation...

You descended the stairs before Sebastian did, making sure that you didn't both return to the costume party at the same time. That would have been far too suspicious, and far too obvious. There was already a chance that Claude could have slipped Alois some interesting "gossip" about your relationship with Sebastian, so you saw no reason to add more fuel to the fire if this was the case. Your entire body still tingled from your time spent alone with your lover, and your lips burned from the kiss he'd given you as you parted ways.

"If anyone asks any questions, try to avoid them until I get to you," he'd whispered, savouring the sweet, tender kiss that you had worked up the courage to instigate. "I will not have them pestering you for answers,"

Your heart felt like it was fit to burst; you were convinced that you would die of happiness every time he uttered words of love or showed you affection. Even the slightest touch made your breath hitch. Reluctant though you were, you left his side after getting dressed and found your way back to the party. You had no idea how you managed to reach the ballroom again; you'd never seen this part of Trancy Manor before, and you'd only spent a few hours there anyway. As soon as you entered the room you somehow blended into the crowd and mingled with them, acting as though you'd never been absent. Not even Lizzie appeared to notice your sudden reappearance.

But as soon as she spotted you, she'd known that you were missing.

"(F/N)!" she cried, rushing over to you in a blur of fancy dress and bouncy blonde hair. "Where have you been? I was getting so worried about you, dear!" She hugged you tightly as she always did, before looking you over--seemingly for damages--and finding nothing to be concerned about.

"I just...went for a walk," you lied, thinking about what Sebastian had said to you minutes before about avoiding people and their questions. You felt guilty about going against his word but you couldn't help it. How could you brush Lizzie off? It was damn near impossible, especially if her own fiancé couldn't do it. You glanced around surreptitiously, trying to ascertain whether or not Sebastian had rejoined the party yet. You couldn't see him, but then again you couldn't see Claude, either. For this you were glad.

In an effort to busy yourself until Sebastian returned, you tried to concentrate on Lizzie who was now talking to you as if nothing had happened, although she did ask you about your walk. "Did you get lost?" she giggled.

"Oh, no..." you laughed back. "I just found myself in the woods beyond the house. I was curious, so...I went exploring,"

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Lizzie, laughing as she did so and taking you by the hands. "You and your wanderlust, my dear!"

You smiled and realised that it was true. You did have an insatiable appetite for adventure--among other things, you had discovered--and frequently found yourself out on walks when the weather wasn't too cold for you to bear. Something caught your eye just as you were about to say something else to your young friend; Sebastian had returned to the ballroom, at the very same moment that Claude came back in as well.

_"What beautiful timing he has,"_ you thought, admiring how cunning Sebastian was. You didn't think that Claude had even noticed the other demon walking behind him. Your suspicions were confirmed as Sebastian passed Claude, and the latter appeared to baulk as he watched him go. Claude may have glowered at Sebastian but your lover had on his face a rather satisfied expression. He flashed his eyes at you from across the room as soon as your gazes met.

You wished that it wasn't the case, despite how desperate you were to be by Sebastian's side again, but Lizzie grabbed your hand and dragged you with speed over to where Ciel was standing. Clearly she just wanted you to come with her so that she wouldn't lose you again, and so that she could speak to her beloved at the same time. "Oh, Ciel! How are you enjoying the party?" she sang, just like a little bird fluttering over to him.

"It's passable," said the dark little Earl. You wanted to smile at his seriousness and how utterly displeased he really looked, but you couldn't bring yourself to induce the questions that would follow if he saw you. He had other questions in mind anyway. "Where did the pair of you vanish to?" he grumbled, glancing between you and Sebastian. You gave him a fleeting look of slight panic, but his eyes were nothing but calm.

"I cannot speak for Lady (F/N), my Lord, but I was having a word with Claude," Sebastian replied in a level tone of voice.

"Claude returned long before you did," said Ciel pointedly. "Where were you  _then?_ _"_

Sebastian sighed and responded with an answer that--if you hadn't known better--you would have been convinced by. "Checking on the carriage, Young Master. The party ends in an hour,"

Ciel scowled at his butler before looking away and closing his eye. His arms were folded tightly across his chest as he leaned against the wall. "I don't believe you,"

Sebastian chuckled as you and Lizzie looked on in bewilderment. "My Lord, with all due respect, this teasing really must stop," he said with amusement in his voice. "I never lie to you,"

You wanted to burst out laughing as you listened to him. Saying that he never lied was a lie in itself, and the very nature of his conversation with his master was a lie, too. Of course, he was doing it to protect you both and your relationship, but you found it incredibly funny. That was until Ciel turned his attention to you and your whereabouts.

"And where were you, Miss (F/N)?"

"I was exploring the grounds, Lord Phantomhive," you said without falter. Sebastian regarded you with quiet approval of the speed and fluidity of your own white lie.

"You can call me "Ciel", you know," he muttered, clearly put in a foul mood by his butler. "You've known me long enough. Anyway, I would be careful around here; you don't know what kinds of monsters might be lurking,"

You looked the boy in the eye and wondered what he was talking about; was he insinuating to you what you already knew, that there were demons present? You were rather confused, to say the least. Did he not realise that you already knew? Just then he turned to Sebastian and glared at him.

"I want a word with you," he growled, stalking off in a different direction. Sebastian did not sigh, roll his eyes or otherwise indicate his displeasure at his master's behaviour but you could see right through him. Especially now that you were bonded as closely as this, as mates. He was actually rather annoyed; you were surprised. His exterior was incredibly composed and did not so much as hint at his irritation. He glanced at you and gave you a small, sidelong smile as he followed after Ciel.

"Oh dear...I think Sebastian might be in trouble," giggled Lizzie. "Ciel doesn't look at all happy,"

"I wonder why..." you mused aloud, watching them go. Once again you found yourself unable to concentrate on what Lizzie was saying as you pondered what Ciel could possibly have a problem with.

-

"I'll thank you  _not_ to humiliate me like that in front of anyone ever again," snapped Ciel, as soon as he and his butler were away from the hubbub of Alois' party. Thankfully Earl Trancy had left Ciel alone for now.

"My Lord?" said Sebastian, pretending to be confused.

"Trying to make me look the fool in front of Lizzie and (F/N)..." he muttered angrily. "How dare you?!"

"My Lord, you really must see it from another angle; you risk embarrassing the daughter of one of your most valuable business partners," said the demon wisely. Ciel shook his head violently, knowing that Sebastian was just skirting around the issue. 

"No, I do not. I did not even  _mention_ her name while I was asking where you were,"

"It is the implication which shames and humiliates a person, Master," Sebastian said, with hints of a warning in his voice. He wasn't about to let anybody--even Ciel--come between him and you. "You were implying that the Lady and I were together. You made that perfectly clear,"

Ciel continued to glare at Sebastian with all the malice of a thousand demons. All the butler did was smirk. 

"I've had enough of this," growled Ciel. "If you're not going to be honest with me about this, I  _swear_ that I will tell her father about it instead!"

The fury that Sebastian felt rising in his body, directed at his master, bubbled over slightly but for the most part he held it in check. He could get away with putting his own master in place sometimes anyway. "Tattling on people is a very childish thing to do, my  _young_ Lord," he said, bowing down low so that his eyes became level with Ciel's. "How immature the Marquess would think you are,"

Ciel growled loudly in anger and made to slap Sebastian, who quickly dodged the blow. He wasn't falling into that trap, being so close to the boy. He smirked down at him and straightened his back. He was not going to reveal the nature of his relationship with you to the young Earl, but he was close to hitting on the truth.  _He_ thought it was merely an attraction.

"Shall we return, my Lord? Everyone must be wondering where you are," said Sebastian, even more calmly than before. Just as he said this, there was a great pandemonium in the ballroom and people started shouting. Sebastian looked over with curiosity and craned his neck in an effort to see more. He could see very little from where he stood, but he was suddenly consumed by a wave of panic. The seal on his body, identical to the one he had placed on yours, began to burn.  _Badly_.

Not caring if Ciel was coming with him now, he hurried back to the ballroom, fully ignoring his master's demands for him to return to his side that instant. Sebastian couldn't have been more horrified by what he saw.

-

You saw before you a man with his back to you. His hair was dark red, and his skin, visible only at his hands and the back of his neck, was ghostly white. You felt as though you'd seen him somewhere before. As he turned to face you, you saw that he was wearing a servant's uniform and you recognised the pin on his coat; it was your family crest. Your (E/C) eyes met with intense onyx ones. They were such a deep black that they seemed to push right through you. You felt immediate discomfort as he turned to face you.

You still could not place him, but you had definitely seen you before. He was hauntingly beautiful, like Sebastian, but he looked like he was on a mission that you had something to do with. Just as he was approaching you, his eyes became that demonic fuchsia colour and he smiled an equally inhuman smile. You were about to scream when suddenly you were shaken back to the ballroom at the Trancy Estate. You had broken out into a cold sweat and you were twitching nervously. In front of your face you saw Sebastian, the most welcome sight you could possibly see apart from your parents.

"Thank goodness you're awake..." he murmured, stroking your hair slightly. You guessed he just didn't want anyone to see him doing it.

"W-what happened...?" you mumbled, trying to sit up. Your head was being supported by Sebastian and he pushed you down again with his other hand.

"No, you must rest," he said adamantly, refusing to let you strain yourself. You felt awkward lying there on the floor with everybody staring at you from above but there was nothing to be done now. If Sebastian was unwilling to let you up then there was no way you were going to be able to fight against him. Not that you wanted to; you just wanted to sit up.

"You fainted, dear," said Lizzie, coming into view. You looked up at her with big, worried eyes identical to hers in expression. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you..." you said, fairly certain that you would be able to sit up now. Sebastian still would not allow it. He shook his head and looked into your eyes with evident distress. "Please, Sebastian...I really am alright..."

"Miss Elizabeth says that you bumped your head when you collapsed, Lady (F/N)," he told you, using a more formal address for you now that you were in front of many people. Just as he said this, Alois and Claude pushed through the crowd and looked down at you, wondering what on Earth had happened. Alois demanded as much.

"She fainted, Earl Trancy," said Lizzie, clearly very concerned about you. "Can someone bring her some water?" she called out into your little audience. The help was very prompt, however, and someone came back with a glass of cool liquid in a matter of about thirty seconds. They handed it to Lizzie, who knelt down at your side and tried to give it to you like a nurse would a patient. You smiled and sat up a little so that it wouldn't dribble down your chin. How unsightly that would have been.

"Claude, take her to one of the guest bedrooms and have Hannah take care of her," Alois said, ordering Claude to help you. He dipped his head to his master and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, Your Highness," he said in his usual calm, deep voice. He approached you and you noticed Sebastian's jaw clench angrily as he got closer. Claude crouched down beside you both and held out his arms slightly, indicating that he needed to pick you up. "If you'll allow me, my Lady,"

You glanced between him and Sebastian, making it known to them that you were worried. The latter sighed and relinquished his care of you, if only for a moment. But that was all it took for Claude to slip his strong arms underneath you and carry you away. You saw the sly look that he shot back at your lover, and the glare of utter hatred that Sebastian fired back.

"Hannah," said Claude as he passed her with you in his arms. "Come with us,"

Sebastian watched the three of you go as the crowd dispersed. Ciel arrived at his side and he glanced disinterestedly up at the demon. "Go on, then," said the Earl. "What are you waiting for?"

"Sir?" said Sebastian through clenched teeth.

"I'm not wrong. If you're going to sulk from this point forward I suggest you go with her. Unless you want Claude to be the one caring for her?"

Sebastian tensed up and growled. "Don't you think that would look a little suspicious?"

Ciel sighed. "Anyone going after them will look suspicious if they go alone. I'm concerned for her too; I'll go with you,"

Sebastian said nothing, but began walking after you, Claude and Hannah. You were hoping that he would come after you soon, anyway.

-

You awakened in an unfamiliar room, looking at an unfamiliar ceiling, wrapped in unfamiliar sheets. However there was a familiar hand stroking your hair as you came around, and you turned your head to see Sebastian sitting on your bed, running his fingers gently through your smooth, (H/C) locks. When he saw you wake, he smiled softly and leaned forward to kiss your forehead.

"How are you feeling, my love?" he whispered.

"I'm feeling better, thank you...A little shaken up, though,"

"Shaken up?"

"Yes, I...I saw somebody when I fainted,"

"Who?" He looked at you with confusion on his face but concern in his eyes. How could you have seen somebody after fainting? It made him think that there was more to it than just a fainting spell.

"I don't know...A man. I feel like I've seen him before..." you told him, nuzzling into his soft, gloved hand. You felt so safe with Sebastian; you were glad that it was him there to comfort you and not Claude. As much as you appreciated the care given to you, you felt as though Claude would try to undermine Sebastian at every turn, with everything he possibly could including you. "He had red hair, very pale skin and the blackest eyes I've ever seen..."

"He sounds...interesting," said Sebastian, stroking your hair again as he listened as though you had just awoken from a bad dream. "And you cannot put a name to his face?"

"No..." you murmured, remembering the man from your vision more vividly than you even remembered the party downstairs. You could no longer hear any music and you wondered what the time was. You asked Sebastian about it.

"It is a quarter past midnight," he said gently, glancing over his shoulder at the clock on the mantelpiece in the room. "Your parents are also on their way to see you. They will take you home afterwards,"

"O-oh...Very well..." you stammered, unwilling to leave Sebastian's side. You looked around the room and saw that there was nobody else there with you. "Where is everyone else...? What about Claude and Hannah?"

"Claude brought you here and Hannah nursed you for a while to make sure that you wouldn't faint again. You fell asleep just before she left the room, but Claude and I...Well, we had a fight. I had to see him off,"

You giggled a little. "You really are my protector," you said affectionately, turning your face to the side to kiss his hand, the one that continued to support your head even though you had a pillow now.

"Of course. I am your mate," he said with a smile, kissing you on the lips this time. When he pulled away you asked where Ciel was. "Ah, yes. You may not remember but he came to your room with me; he was concerned too, I think,"

While you appreciated the young Earl's concern, you worried that he knew about your relationship with Sebastian. "Did he see...any of this?" you asked, indicating that you meant what was going on between the two of you.

Sebastian shook his head reassuringly. "He is well aware that I am sweet on you, shall we say, but he does not know about this..." he told you, running his fingers lightly over his mark on your torso. You breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in a more relaxed fashion. You were about to fall asleep again when suddenly the door opened, allowing light to flood in from the hallway. There stood your worried parents with Ciel beside them, showing them the way to your room. Sebastian immediately retracted his hand from its affectionate position and made it look as though he was taking care of you. Which he was, but not in the way they thought.

"My butler is an able man, as you know," said Ciel. "He takes excellent care of me when I am sick. Your daughter is in good hands,"

You were surprised to hear him saying such praising words of Sebastian after witnessing how he treated the man earlier, just before you fainted. You paid that little mind though, for now. Sebastian stood up and allowed your parents to come to your side while he lit a few candles around the room.

"Mother...Father..." you said, taking your mother's hand as she reached out to you, having rushed over and knelt at your bedside. "You've come such a long way for me..."

"Of course we have, darling..." said your mother softly, as your father smoothed your hair back out of your face. "We were so worried about you when we received the call to say you had fainted..."

"I'm alright now, Mother--truly," you said, trying to reassure her. After all, you really didn't feel that bad now. You'd had Sebastian looking after you all this time. "I'm so sorry that you had to come all this way..."

"No. Don't apologise. You are our beloved daughter--no distance is too great to travel for you,"

Sebastian smiled to himself.  _"Words of great truth..."_ he thought.

"I want to ask you a question, though..." you said, sitting up. Sebastian approached once more and propped your pillow up behind you so that you could remain comfortable. Your father and mother both shot him a look of gratitude, seeing as they would have been unable to reach properly.

"Anything, bumblebee," said your father, taking your other hand.

"Who is the man with red hair and black eyes?"

Your parents' eyes widened slightly and they looked at each other slowly. You watched as the seeds of discord began to sow themselves in their expressions. That discord quickly sprouted and evolved into fear.

"The man with red hair and black eyes?" your father said, echoing you. "What do you mean, darling?"

"I saw him when I fainted..." you said. "He looked at me and smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile. His eyes turned pink...But they were blacker than night before that happened, and his hair was like fire..."

Sebastian ignored Ciel's questioning gaze and continued to stare at you as you spoke.  _"She didn't mention his eyes turning 'pink'..."_ he thought, immediately thinking the same thing that you'd thought at the time.

"Hair like fire...Eyes like night..." your father whispered, clearly shaken by your description of the mysterious man. "Skin like snow..."

"Yes..." you said, hearing what he'd just added to the description. "How did you know...?"

"...Dominic," he muttered, shivering unhappily. He knew  _exactly_ who this man was. "His name is Dominic Abbott,"

"But what is his connection to us?" you asked, a little nervous yourself now.

"He was...a servant of the household, once upon a time..." said your father, face growing paler by the minute. He looked as though he felt extremely sick. "Years ago, he...was the personal servant of my great-great-great grandfather,"

"That was...a long time ago," you said, rubbing your hands anxiously. You knew that this Dominic fellow was certainly a demon, but the fact that he had served your great-great-great-great grandfather was more...disconcerting. You now remembered where you'd seen him before; in the cellar of your home, there was a very old painting of two of your ancestors and their personal servant--Dominic. "Why is he showing himself to me?" you asked.

"It...is linked to the note you found, dear..." said your mother, now. "Your father must be the one to tell you, though..."

You looked to your father for help. You were becoming more and more frightened by the prospect of an unknown demon haunting your dreams. He could see the anxiousness in your eyes and patted your leg.

"Please try not to worry, sweetheart," he said. "Dominic was...betrayed by Reginald, my grandmother's great-grandfather. He..." He trailed off, clearly not wanting to continue with this story...It made him visibly uncomfortable.

"Please, father...I feel like this is something I must know," you urged. You spotted, on the other side of the room, Sebastian watching you intently. He appeared concerned for you; you felt the seal on your body tingling, sending the same sort of feeling through you as that which Sebastian was feeling. You were comforted by the fact that becoming his mate meant that you were incredibly synchronised with each other.

Your father sighed and nodded sadly. "...He cursed the family. He vowed to..."take his due from Reginald's bloodline"..."

"What does that mean...?"

Your father had been looking at the floor until now. He glanced up and met your searching gaze. "Dominic feels that he is "owed" a soul...and the child of the (L/N) family who manifests his abilities--the child of day, and of night--is the one that he wants..."

The whole room fell silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people!
> 
> Here is Chapter Sixteen, waxing intrigue and sowing a few seeds of discord here and there! But have no fear--Sebby will be there for you every step of the way ;) Thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll be around for the next chapter! ^_^  
> Sorry for the lateness of this chapter as well, I've been quite behind in my writing recently...
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	17. The Calm before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving the disturbing vision of the man that you father identified as 'Dominic Abbott', your parents have decided that you should be kept within the walls of the family home for your own protection. You are always kept where someone can see you, be it your mother, your father, or one of the household's servants. You cannot help thinking, though, that you would be even safer with Sebastian...
> 
> Find out what happens as your family prepares to fight back against its age-old curse...

You exhaled a deep sigh of exasperation. You were shadowed by someone everywhere you went, now. Even in your own home, a place you should have been able to feel safe, you were followed to make sure that nothing bad happened to you. Namely this Dominic character--he was apparently the worst thing that could possibly happen to you right now. There were even certain things that made it worse for you emotionally.

Not that having an ancient, angry and probably starving demon hunting your soul didn't play on your emotions as well.

First was the fact that your parents were telling you very little about the situation now that you knew who Dominic was, and who you really were. But even  _that_ you still didn't really know. All you knew with regards to that was that you played an intrinsic and compulsory role in the family's curse, something you had only known about for a matter of days. Out of the hundreds of years it had been in effect...

The other thing that distressed you was being unable to see Sebastian. Not only would asking to see him make your parents very suspicious, as well as Earl Phantomhive, but it would also require the revelation of your secret relationship anyway, and the revelation of Sebastian's own nature. The last thing you wanted was for your parents to try and get rid of him too, as they were trying to do with Dominic. You loved Sebastian; you didn't want anyone to try to hurt him. Not that it would be an easy feat but you had no doubt in your mind that they would give it a damn good go.

You sat with Dolly in the library, gazing out of the window with an open book in your hands. The worst of the winter cold had now seeped out of the air although it was still frosty in the mornings and chilly by late afternoon. The promise of spring still did not thaw the ice in your heart though, thinking that you would not see the first signs of new life arriving in the world. You loved all seasons, but the colour and warmth of spring and summer lifted your spirits greatly.

"Dolly, I'm only going to ask you this because I trust you..." you said, turning to your maid. She looked up at you with her pale blue eyes and smiled gently, indicating that she was listening. "Do you know what my parents have been saying about me and all of this...business?" you asked her, shooting her with an imploring look.

Dolly was quiet for a moment--she was quiet anyway--as though trying to think of an appropriate answer. As soon as she didn't respond right away, as she usually did, you knew that she was either going to say something that you wouldn't like or she was going to gently lie to you. "I do not know, my Lady; I'm very sorry. I am sure that your mother and father know that I am close to you, so they do not say much about it in my presence,"

You looked at her with a little disappointment. You had always been able to see right through people, especially when they were lying, and you had hoped that Dorothy wouldn't ever become one of those people. But maybe she had a good reason for it; perhaps she was trying to remain impartial. You were under no illusions that she cared about you, and that she was your friend, but she also had a duty to your parents to keep things quiet.

"Dolly...You know that I will not say anything to my parents about it," you said, attempting to reassure her about it. You couldn't stand the suspense, the secrecy and the lies. Even if they were white lies in this respect, you still needed to know. After all, it was your soul in peril. "Please just tell me. I do not want to be lied to anymore..." You turned to gaze back out of the window with sadness, longing for things to go back to normal. But you realised that these events were scheduled to happen from the very beginning. This had always been waiting to happen. Dolly sighed.

"My Lady, I apologise for lying to you. However, your parents have asked me not to tell you things which may frighten you. You have nothing to worry about while you're here,"

You shook your head slightly. "I cannot believe that they are trying to keep this from me," you said quietly, closing the book in your lap and standing up. You slotted it back into its nook in the bookshelf nearby. "This is  _my life_ _! My soul!_ _I_ am the one being haunted and preyed on by a demon that I never wronged!" You shouted, punching the side of the bookshelf. It hurt your knuckles but you didn't care anymore. Dolly flinched and stood up to assess the damages but you stepped away from her. You had never been given to fits of rage before, and you had never felt so angry in your life. Just then your father put his head around the door and walked in, looking for you.

"(F/N)?" he said, seeing you standing there seething furiously. "What is the matter? I heard you shouting..."

"Father," you said, exhaling slowly through your nose in an effort to calm down. " _Why_ won't you tell me what it is that you and Mother are speaking about behind my back?"

"Sweetheart..." said your father, walking over to you. He placed his hands on your shoulders and offered you a gentle, apologetic smile. "We don't want you to be afraid. If we tell you what we are talking about then it may cause you to overthink the problem..."

"I am overthinking it  _already_ , Father. I want to know what it is that you are talking about. This is  _my life_..."

Your father sighed and rubbed your arm before putting one of his around your shoulders. "Come with me, darling," he said, and started to lead you out of the library. Dolly followed, but stopped before following you into the salon where your mother was. Dolly respectfully remained outside and did not attempt to listen in. Your father sat you down in front of your mother, before walking around the coffee table between the two sofas and sitting down beside his wife.

"If we are going to tell you what we have been discussing, we need you to remain calm..." he said, searching your eyes. For what you had no idea, but you knew that he would find no traces of weakness in your expression.

"I'm ready," you said. "I just want some answers, that is all,"

"Very well," said your father, nodding in agreement. Your mother remained silent, gazing at you with soft, sad eyes. She could never bring herself to tell you what your father was about to. "As I have already told you, Dominic Abbott served one of our forefathers many, many years ago. He was betrayed, and their contract was broken at the very last minute. Dominic cursed the family, decreeing that he would one day take his due from our bloodline in the form of the soul of the "child of day and night". Before he left, the demon warned the family that he would return on the same day that he was betrayed..."

You nodded as you listened to your father. "And which day was that...?"

"Well...That is what we have been preparing for..." he said quietly, in an extremely serious voice. "We might have told you sooner, my dear, but...It was not that simple,"

"I understand, Father," you said. "But which day was his day of betrayal? And what did Reginald do to make him so angry?"

Your father sighed, shaking his head. You could see that there was something that he would have to conceal from you for now. You would undoubtedly find out on your own soon anyway. "...The day is less than forty-eight hours away, now," said your father. Your breath caught in your throat as you started to feel the panic rising in your body. It made you want to run away, run anywhere, but you knew it was futile. If the demon wanted your soul then he was going to find you. Your father could see the fear setting in but admired your outward composure. "As for your question about Reginald's treachery...He cheated Dominic out of being able to have his own soul. That is why Dominic wants yours instead,"

"Because he could not have Reginald's?" you asked, although you understood perfectly. You couldn't help feeling anger at your great-great-great-great grandfather for what he'd done. He'd inflicted hundreds of years of apprehension and ultimately misery on his descendants by doing whatever it was that he'd done to cheat Dominic. And if there was one thing you knew about demons it was that they were relentless. You knew that Sebastian, for one, put up with a hell of a lot of nonsense and had done for some time all with the aim of taking Ciel's soul in the end.

"Yes," said your father. "He vowed that he would have his revenge, and he would be paid for his services to our family--no matter how long it took,"

"What was it that you said before about manifesting Dominic's abilities?" you asked nervously, not entirely sure that you wanted to know the answer.

"It is our supposition that Dominic could not place a curse on the family without giving up something of his. The thing is, he indicated in his decree that he knew that "the child of day and night" would have the purest soul any of us had ever seen...He knew that it would attract many other demons. It pleased him to know this as he felt that it would inflict yet more misery upon us,"

"This Dominic fellow sounds thoroughly evil..." you whispered, but you could understand his resentment of Reginald. You wished that he hadn't cursed the family but you thought that--if you were in his shoes--you would have done the same thing, being cheated out of your reward for years of servitude. "What do we do when he comes looking for me?"

Your father nodded thoughtfully, as if he had been expecting you to ask that question. "I have been corresponding with a friend, and we have agreed that you will go to his estate before the day of Dominic's betrayal arrives,"

"Who is this benefactor?" 

"Ciel Phantomhive. Your mother and I will accompany you,"

You breathed a sigh of relief rather than one of frustration. "Thank you," you said, glad that your parents would not be leaving you to go into hiding on your own. "When will I be going?"

"Tomorrow..."

You nodded and there was nothing else to be said on the matter. You sat there in silence with your parents for a few more minutes, mulling over everything your father had eventually agreed to discuss with you. You shivered uncomfortably, feeling as though the storm was truly rolling in. The dark clouds were forming and the rains and winds were on their way. It made you extremely nervous, but it made you feel much better to know that at least by going to the Phantomhive Estate you would be under Sebastian's direct protection. You gently and discreetly traced his mark on your torso, just beneath your breast.

-

That night you slept fitfully, unable to remain still even in slumber. You were plagued by nightmare after nightmare, until finally you were startled awake by a loud clap of thunder and a bright flash of lightning. You sat bolt upright in bed and your eyes flew to the window; you had forgotten to draw your curtains that night and now you could see the pouring rain thrashing the outside of the window. You watched the rain and waited until your breathing had slowed, helping yourself to calm down.

It was just a thunderstorm. Nothing out of the ordinary.

You were just about to lie back down when suddenly there was another sudden flash of lightning. It was electric blue and it illuminated the whole room. Something in the corner of your dark room caught your eye, making you unwilling to lie back down and go back to sleep. You thought, at first, that it was the servant who was currently on duty with you, making sure that you stayed safe at all times. They took it in turns, working shifts in supervising you. As soon as the flash was gone, though, you saw nothing else. Once again you were about to lie back down when another flash followed the first, preceding even the thunder but the loud crash wasn't far behind. It echoed throughout the room almost as soon as the third flash lit the room.

You saw him.

-

"(F/N)?!" yelled your father, bursting through your bedroom door with Dolly and your mother in hot pursuit. He looked to your bed to see you clutching at the duvet and bawling your eyes out, wishing you hadn't seen what you had. "(F/N), darling, what is the matter?! Why were you screaming?!" Your father ran over to your bedside and pulled you into his lap as he sat on the edge, cradling you like you were a small child again. He at first considered the possibility that the storm had woken you and frightened you, but he realised that you were shaking too much for that.

"He was in here...!" you wept, fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of your father's shirt. He had removed his waistcoat for the night--he was unable to sleep during these grim times anyway--so it made it all the more easy for you to clutch at him. "He was right over there, Father...!"

Your father whirled around to look where you were shakily pointing, now. There was nobody there but there was no way he could disbelieve you. "Right, I've had enough," he growled angrily. Nobody threatened his little girl, his pride and joy. Dominic was not going to terrorise you while you slept, or even in your waking hours. He was not due for another day, and his temerity angered your father even more. "Dorothy, go and put some clothes in a suitcase for (F/N) and take it out to the front porch,"

"Yes, my Lord!" said Dolly with a suddenly great amount of gusto. She hurried over to your wardrobe with her candle and began packing some clothes for you as she had been ordered.

"Darling..." said your father, speaking to your mother now. "Please can you go and get the driver to bring the carriage to the front drive?"

"Of course, my love. Keep our baby safe," she said, hurrying off to do as she had been asked. Your father remained with you in his arms, stroking your hair and rocking you side to side so gently that you felt as though you were in a baby manger again.

"You're going to be alright, sweetheart..." he whispered to you. Just then, Dolly rushed past with your small amount of luggage and was making for the door when suddenly your father called her back. "Dorothy, please come with us. I need you to tell one of the other servants to phone ahead to the Phantomhives, and then get yourself out to the carriage as well,"

Your maid looked at your father with immense gratitude. "Yes, sir," she said, and hurried along to do as she was told just as your mother came back.

"The driver is waiting in the front drive," she said, beckoning for your father to bring you outside. You clung to him like a desperately scared little child as he picked you up, holding you in his arms almost as effortlessly as he had when you were young.

"You're much heavier than you were the last time I carried you," he chuckled, trying to make a little light of the situation. You snuggled into your father, determined not to be parted from him then. You felt safe there, too.

Your father rushed outside with you in the pouring rain after grabbing a coat for you and himself. Your mother had rushed on ahead to climb in and hold the door open for you while your father put you in the vehicle, throwing the oversized coat over your cold, shivering body. He jumped in after you and your mother, and Dolly also climbed in, shutting the door. Your father banged his palm on the roof of the carriage and the driver immediately began to drive away with speed.

You looked out of your raindrop covered window at the retreating lights of your family home. You hoped that you would see it again soon, in absolute safety.

"Darling, won't Dominic know where it is we're going?" asked your mother nervously from across the carriage. "We did speak of the Phantomhive Estate while still in (F/N)'s room...What if he was still there? What if he's been present during every single one of our discussions?!"

"Calm down, my dear..." said your father, holding you against his side for your comfort. "Even if he does know where we're going, he would be a fool to show himself before his appointed time. I do not think that he was trying to do anything more than frighten her earlier, but it certainly was enough to make us get her out of there,"

Nobody said anything more and you continued the journey in silence. You found yourself falling asleep again in the warm, protective embrace of your father.

-

Your father carried you swiftly to the door of Phantomhive Manor and was greeted by Sebastian equally quickly. He opened the door to allow you all entry, and closed the door as soon as everybody was safely inside. "Welcome..." he said sombrely, gazing at you with worry as you slept in your father's arms. "I hope that your journey was safe and smooth..."

"Well...We're all here in one piece," said your father. "You have our deepest gratitude for taking us in so late at night, and at such short notice,"

"It is the least we could do to help..." said Sebastian. His velvety voice stirred you a little from your slumber. He looked at you as you woke. "Ah...Good evening, my Lady," he said, offering you a kind smile with undertones of a lover's sweetness recognisable only to you. You smiled back at him.

"Good evening, Sebastian..." you said, greeting him in return.

"I am very sorry that you have had to flee your home..." he said, mainly to your father this time. "We will do everything we can to ensure that you are comfortable here. My master will be available to talk in the morning,"

"Thank you once again..." said your father. He stopped for a moment, apparently thinking about something. Then he thought of it. "Ah...Sebastian? I am terribly sorry to ask such a favour of you, but I was wondering..."

"I am happy to help with anything you might request, my Lord," said Sebastian, bowing to him.

"Ever since you rescued my daughter from the hands of that damned kidnapper, you have been a trusted friend of ours..." he replied, and the expression he wore was one of earnestness. "...So I am trusting you now. Please could you take her somewhere to sleep tonight? She has had a very long day and a very bad night so far..."

"I would be honoured to do this for you..."

Your father nodded and gently placed you in Sebastian's outstretched arms. To be back in his arms was the best feeling in the world and you wanted nothing more than to snuggle into his chest and fall asleep there. He was warm and strong and you could feel his love for you being projected through the identical marks you bore. He turned and walked away with you, taking you to the same room as the one in which he'd first made love to you. Lying you down gently on the bed, he leaned in after checking that nobody was there to see and kissed you.

"I have been worried about you..." he murmured, kissing you again. "Please tell me that you are unharmed..."

"I am alright, thank you..." you replied. "I appreciate your concern, my love, but I am merely shaken. My parents heard me scream and came to rescue me..."

Sebastian sighed and stroked your cheek with his index finger. "Well I can assure you that he will not come within twenty feet of you while _I_ am watching over you," he said resolutely. "I will not let him hurt you,"

You leaned upwards and kissed him for yourself. "I've wanted to be near you for days, now..." you confessed, admitting your longing for him. He smiled, thinking back to his regret at your father's ball months earlier, when he'd considered that a human would not be able to feel the same yearning as he did. You were nothing short of perfect; you yearned for him as he yearned for you. There was nobody he wanted more than you.

"You are here now..." he said softly, kissing your forehead. "And I will always be nearby. Someone will be in shortly to keep watch over you, but for now I must return to your parents...I would not leave you otherwise,"

"I understand..." you said sleepily. "Thank you...for everything..."

"Anything for you," he said, pulling the bedclothes up to your shoulders. "I will be back to check on you as soon as I am able,"

You nodded and watched him back out of the room, just before your eyes grew extremely heavy and you fell asleep.

Now, all your dreams consisted of were Sebastian, and you smiled in your slumber. He was your love, your protection, and your happiness. It didn't matter that others might not see him as something that could be good--besides a good home and a good family, he was the best thing in the world to you.

One day he would tell you, but you were the best thing in the world to him too. As he walked through the manor, back to where your parents waited, he felt the fury coursing through his veins that someone was threatening you.

Not you, his beloved. When he saw this other demon, he would have him begging for a swift death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, you beautiful creatures!
> 
> Thank you for reading Chapter Seventeen! We're a long way into the story now, and I'm so thrilled you've all come this far! Next part will be posted tomorrow!
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	18. Looming Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your parents have brought you to what they deem to be your only sanctuary for now, at least until the demon Dominic abides by his own rules and arrives at his appointed time to claim that which he deems to be his: Your soul. However, now that you reside at the Phantomhive Estate, anxiously awaiting the wronged and angry demon's next appearance, you are under the watchful gaze of your lover, Sebastian.
> 
> What will happen when Dominic comes knocking for the final time?

You sat before a warm, freshly stoked fire in the living room at Earl Phantomhive's home, wrapped in blankets and sipping a delicious cream tea made specially for you by your beloved Sebastian. As you gazed into the flames, you could not help thinking morbid thoughts. Were those flames the image of Hell dancing before your eyes? What kind of horrors awaited you as one whose soul was to be consumed by a devil, rather than allowed to live freely and happily? Ciel sat in an armchair nearby, while your parents sat by on a soft sofa saying very little. They were more than just a little shaken up after having to flee their home with you, their daughter, being hunted by a furious, starving demon.

You were glad of the clothes that Dolly had decided to pack for you. There were no billowy, unwieldy dresses in your light travel case, but instead a smart blouse and waistcoat, and breeches that you would otherwise have normally worn during horseback riding although they were not jodhpurs. You gave a little sigh and took another sip of your tea, without once taking your eyes from the flickering embers before you that reminded you so much of your impending doom. Not only did the fire look like some kind of inferno that you might see in the underworld but it also served as a reminder of the flaming red hair of the man who would send you there.

A hand touched your shoulder, ever so gently. You looked up quickly and with surprise, and saw Sebastian standing over you with a gentle, worried expression on his face. "Are you feeling alright, my Lady? You have become rather pale,"

"I am alright, thank you..." you replied, offering him the strongest smile that you could muster. You didn't want to make him feel bad, after all.

"Are you quite sure?" asked Ciel, looking you over with a dubious expression on his own face. "Your situation is most dire, indeed. It would not be unacceptable for you to say that it is bothering you..."

You sighed again and nodded a little. It was true; how could these dire straits _not_ be grinding your spirit down? You looked back over at the young Earl and offered him a smile too. "I suppose you are correct, Lord Phantomhive. I do find it rather troubling, but I shall muddle through for the time being,"

You never saw the look that fluttered across Sebastian's face but Ciel did. It was one of deep admiration, something that Ciel had never thought he would ever see in a demon. Sebastian was awed by your strength of character and the fact that you seemed to be taking this dreadful situation in your stride. It was not your fault that these events had been planned out for you long before your birth, yet you did not appear to be outwardly resentful of what was apparently going to happen to you. Of course, Sebastian knew better--he could feel the negative emotions swirling around you as though you and he were one and the same person. He hated for you to feel so miserable, but there was nothing he could do, for now.

Until Dominic arrived. Then, when he got the chance, he would tear the demon limb from limb.

Ciel let out a deep sigh himself. "I cannot believe the nerve of this Dominic fellow. To show up in the middle of the night before he is expected is hardly sporting,"

"Quite so," said your father, nodding. "Unfortunately there is little that we can do about it now. I expect he was just trying to give us all a fright last night, however I do apologise for intruding at such late hours..."

"You have no need to apologise, Marquess (L/N). I gave you my word that you would be able to bring your family here in the event of an emergency, and I stand by my promises," said Ciel nobly.

"Thank you, Earl Phantomhive," said your father, bowing his head to the boy. He smiled back a little and raised his hand.

"Please, call me by my first name,"

He was speaking to your father as well as you and your mother, and you all smiled and nodded in agreement. Your father told him to do likewise for all of you. It was, after all, because you were friends and also because of the grave situation bringing you all closer. You almost jumped out of your skin as a grandfather clock somewhere struck eleven in the morning. You had been awake since six.

You turned to gaze out of the salon window and saw beyond the first signs that winter was fading away. Birds were beginning to fly and the glass in the window panes was no longer misty. The sky outside may have been cold and grey but somehow it made you want to take a walk in the garden. You wanted to breathe that fresh air, smell the late winter blooms and just _enjoy_ yourself for a short while. You looked up and asked the question.

"May I take a turn in the garden?" you said, pushing a blanket off your legs. "I could do with some fresh air..."

"Of course, dear. Dorothy...?" said your father, turning to you and then your maid. "Please go with (F/N) to the garden and keep a very close eye on her. If you see anything--anything at all--bring her straight back. Do you understand?"

Dolly, who had been stood in the corner of the room waiting patiently to be spoken to walked over to the seating area and nodded, bowing respectfully to your father. She helped you up, now that you'd finished your tea, and put her arm around your shoulders to steady you. Sebastian watched as the tiny maid went with you out into the garden, but not without thinking how he would be a much better bodyguard for you. He shook his head slightly and banished the thought from his mind; you'd be alright out there with Dorothy.

He continued to wait on his master and your parents for a good while after, as everyone sat in relative silence. All that could be heard was the gentle ticking of the clock that frightened you and the distant sounds of the Phantomhive servants going about their daily work--without destroying anything in the process, it should be noted. Sebastian was glad, for once, that none of them appeared to be suffering from their own incompetence for a change. It allowed him to proceed with his own work unhindered, without worrying about doing the other servants' jobs for them.

-

"Oh...Smell this flower, Miss (F/N)!" gasped Dolly, indicating to you a beautiful blue flower blooming near the centre of the garden. You stooped down and smelled it, inhaling the lovely, sweet aroma.

"It is gorgeous..." you sighed, savouring such a heady and natural scent. It was things like that which reminded you how human you really were... "Thank you for showing it to me, Dolly,"

She smiled over at you and continued to walk with you as you ventured further into the garden. You gazed at all of the plants, taking in the wonderful winter colours--the flowers added a splash of fun to the otherwise usually drab winter landscapes of the English countryside. Where your family hailed from in the country, the flooding of rivers was common in the winter months and the fields were always either frozen solid with frost and crunchy underfoot or marshy, boggy and thoroughly out-of-bounds for anyone not sporting sensible footwear, namely Wellington boots.

A strong gust of cold wind blew across the grounds and hit you like a wave. Your hair was blown back and away from your face as you looked into the invisible gale. Again, things like that made you feel human, and alive.

-

Inside, Sebastian was just about to begin clearing away the tea set and everything else that had been in use that morning, when suddenly your mother let out a shrill scream. Your father and Ciel jumped, and Sebastian looked up with a startled expression. He looked out of the window, where your mother was shakily pointing a pale finger.

Sure enough, just above one of the taller hedgerows outside, he could see a blaze of red hair moving slowly in the same direction as you. He turned on his heels and raced out of the house, with your parents and Ciel following a fair distance behind; of course they were not fast enough to keep up with a sprinting demon.

It didn't take him long to catch up to the redheaded interloper. He couldn't have been more surprised by who he was met with...

"Oh my, look who it is! Darling Bassy, it has been too long!" swooned Grell, the redheaded grim reaper whom Sebastian preferred to avoid at all costs. They really did cause him quite a lot of bother, and now was not the time for distractions; it was a state of emergency indeed. Grell tried to fling their arms around Sebastian's neck but he sidestepped and let them fall onto the ground. His attention was more focused on William T. Spears, the second grim reaper whom he preferred to avoid.

"Of course _you_ would come snooping around in other people's business," sighed Will, pushing his spectacles back up his nose.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" growled Sebastian irritably.

"We are here to collect a very special soul, and _you_ are interfering with our job--as usual," harrumphed the arrogant reaper. Meanwhile Grell was still trying desperately to grab Sebastian's attention, and all the time he continued to ignore these advances.

"Whose soul?" spat Sebastian angrily. He didn't want to hear of it, though, _really_. He knew that nobody's soul was more special than yours. "You can't possibly be referring to--,"

"Miss (F/N)? Yes, her," said Will without enthusiasm. "What do you care, anyway? Are humans not dispensable to demons?"

"Not always..." growled the demon, approaching the irksome reaper. "You will not touch her,"

"Her soul is scheduled for reaping," said Will, matter-of-factly. "We are unsure of how it is she will meet her end, but rest assured that she will,"

Sebastian bristled angrily and shook his head violently. "No. She will not," he snapped. "Another demon is already after her soul--the last thing that poor girl needs is more bounty on her soul,"

"So you do care about her," sniffed Will. "Another demon, you say? I assumed that was you,"

"No," snarled Sebastian. "There is another, and he will be here soon...If he has not arrived already,"

"Filthy demons..." spat Will. "Always spoiling the job of reapers like us..."

There was suddenly a very loud, fearful shriek coming from deeper within the garden. Sebastian's head flew up and his eyes grew wide with panic. Just before he raced away to find you--he would know your voice anywhere, at any pitch and in any tone--he turned and glared at the reapers. "If you touch one hair on that girl's head I will not be held responsible for my actions," he growled, in the lowest, most threatening voice either of them had ever heard. They followed him as he rushed off into the garden, anxious to see if their quarry remained intact.

What Sebastian found when he managed to locate you was horrifying. Dorothy was cowering in a corner beside a hedge and a flowerbed, unable to do anything to help you. She was crying out of regret and fear. You were being held by the throat, a man with pale skin, red hair and the deepest black eyes standing behind you. They bore into Sebastian as he stood there, quaking in his anger that somebody else was touching you, fully intending to harm you.

"Put. Her. Down," said Sebastian, very slowly. You heard Dominic chuckle behind you.

"And who might you be?" he purred, actually letting go of you. You were surprised by this and attempted to flee from him, but he grabbed your wrist. He was not wearing the same suit as that which he wore in his portrait in the cellar; now he wore a sharp, light brown suit with taupe pinstripes. He was a very dapper man but you feared him. He had managed to catch you without even hinting to anybody that he was at the estate. "Oh, I do apologise for my rudeness...My name is Dominic Abbott. Pleased to make your acquaintance, _sir_..." he added, lacing his voice with so much charm that it was sickening.

"It matters not who I am," growled Sebastian. "What matters is that you leave that young woman alone,"

"My, my...Aren't you bold?" sneered Dominic just as your parents and Ciel ran up behind Sebastian and next to the two reapers. Ciel ignored them but your parents eyed them suspiciously, wondering if they were agents of Dominic's. "You know why I'm here. I'm sure _you_ of all people would understand,"

Sebastian didn't say anything but continued to glare at the man before you all.

"What is he saying...?" mumbled your mother, clearly terrified by everything going on before you. "Darling, what is he talking about...?" she asked your father.

"I don't know, dear..." he muttered back. Ciel glared at Dominic, gaze shifting between him and Sebastian.

You tried to escape from Dominic's grasp, desperate to return to your parents and Sebastian. You didn't know who the two newcomers were, but you could tell that they weren't human. It made your stomach churn at the thought of them being there for your soul as well. Of course, they were, but you didn't know that for a fact.

"Do not try to fight me," said Dominic calmly. "I have come for what is rightfully mine. That is only fair,"

Just as he said this, it appeared that Sebastian no longer cared about concealing his identity. He came marching forward so fast that Dominic didn't see and pushed him--hard. He let go of you and Sebastian grabbed you, retreating with you to where your parents stood by, watching in total horror and dismay.

Dominic turned to you all and smirked. "Do you think that would stop me?" he chuckled darkly. "Why do you try to cling so desperately to your life, your soul? You were mine from the moment you were _born_ , (F/N), and yet you have another like me to protect you and parents who _still_ refuse to tell you the whole truth, even now. Perhaps to protect you, yes, but what good will that do you now?"

Everyone turned to stare at Sebastian, knowing that it was he who Dominic referred to as your protector. Your parents shook their heads in disbelief, your father rushing forward as though to grab you away from him. You shook him off, unwilling to leave his side ever again. "No! Father, I'm staying," you cried out to him, forcing him to let go.

"I cannot believe that we could have been so blind...!" snapped your father. "We _trusted_ you, damn it!" He was shouting at Sebastian, knowing now--because of what Dominic had said--exactly what he was. You flinched, wishing that it didn't have to be this way. You felt the anger rising in your body, that Dominic could have exposed Sebastian like this. You stepped forward, ready to shout at him, anything...

"Marquess (L/N)," said Ciel, suddenly. "Please pay it no mind. Sebastian is as trustworthy as ever,"

Sebastian smiled to himself. How unlike Ciel it was to say such a thing. Still your father was--understandably--furious but that didn't matter now. What mattered was that _you_ were challenging Dominic, now.

"Miss (F/N), come away!" Sebastian called out to you, desperate not to let Dominic get his hands on you again. He was terrifying, and although Sebastian remained unafraid of his fellow demon he was determined that he would not catch you again.

Dominic laughed cruelly. He had more to say. "I am surprised, to say the least. I may have imbued you with some of my power in order to place the curse on your family but you have retained a perfectly pure soul as I predicted that you would..." he said. "And I am equally surprised that allowing a demon to make you his mate hasn't tainted you either..."

"What--?!" you gasped in unison with Sebastian. Your father threw himself forward and tried to attack Sebastian, cursing him over and over again in his fury, but Grell and Will held him back.

"Let me go! That bastard--!" he swore.

"Oh, _believe_ me, darling, I'm awfully mad as well but this is serious business here..." said Grell in their usual overly-flamboyant manner.

"Sebastian, you--!" Ciel began, clearly angered by his butler's behaviour. Sebastian ignored him, but he knew there would be a lot of trouble later...He would try to avoid it as best he could. "I _knew_ you were up to something...!"

Dominic laughed out loud, clearly enjoying himself. "Do you know what else surprises me...?"

"Shut up!" you screamed, knowing what he was going to say. "I already know!"

"...Do you?"

"Yes...But there doesn't need to be a discussion about it," You were very unwilling to voice what it was that he knew he wanted to expose this time. It was more detail about your family...You didn't want everyone to know.

The red-haired demon smirked. "All will become clear in time, anyway..." he growled. "For now...Come here,"

"Never," you spat.

"Fine," he said flippantly, shrugging his shoulders. You didn't think that it would end there, though, and you were right. He ran forward with incredible speed and grabbed you before Sebastian could react. But, in your anger, something remarkable happened. Dominic let go, hissing in pain and clutching his hands in his underarms. "What...What was that?!" he shouted. Everyone looked on in absolute shock.

"You've been warned..." you growled, backing away from him once more. He was burning--his skin felt as though it was on fire, the palms of his hands searing in flaming agony. It was worse than Hell. "You knew that giving some of your powers to the one whose soul you would try to claim was dangerous..."

Dominic chuckled, refusing to look up. "You are not wrong..." he growled in the most inhuman of voices. His head flew up suddenly and his eyes were no longer black, but fuchsia. He rushed you, but you stepped out of the way. You had known that this kind of power bubbled within you, but to activate it you needed a certain...kick. That anger. The revelation of Sebastian's identity and your relationship with him, the fact that he was threatening you and your family...You felt a similar anger to that which he felt when he was betrayed. It made you strong.

"(F/N)!" You heard Sebastian shout. You turned around to see Dominic almost upon you, making a grab for you when Sebastian knocked him to the ground. He kicked him off, but you jumped back to him and delivered a swift punch to his stomach for potentially hurting Sebastian. You had no idea that you could fight, let alone fight a demon, but you let the power flow through you.

"Don't touch him!" you snarled. You felt the power of your bond with him, the seal on your body burning as you felt yourself growing angrier and angrier by the second. Just then, Dominic leaped up and sent you flying across the garden, sliding to a stop near another flowerbed. You watched helplessly as he approached Sebastian and everyone else backed off, clearly afraid of Dominic. Sebastian quickly got up off the floor but was beaten back down again by the bigger demon--Dominic was several inches taller and quite a bit bigger in general.

Watching the scene unfold, you felt your entire body being consumed by a feeling you'd never felt before...The last thing you were fully aware of was your vision clouding and becoming totally black, and your body being consumed by the most unimaginable pain...

The first drops of rain began to patter onto your face and the world around you. Someone shook you and called your name, over and over again. Someone said something about taking your soul now, before it was too late. They were told to shut up and back off. You remembered nothing else until your vision returned to normal...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, my lovelies!
> 
> Wonderful to see you again in Chapter Eighteen! I do hope you enjoyed it, however I do apologise if this chapter was of diminished quality as I wrote this one in a less familiar environment which can have a considerable effect on the ability to put thoughts into words...! Thank you for reading, however, and I will have the next chapter online tomorrow! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	19. The Bane of His Existence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dominic has finally come for your soul and with him he has brought more than just a threat on your life. He seems to have every intention of dividing you and everyone you care about, as well as causing mischief within your own mind. He claims to know things that you apparently do not, but you appear to be one step ahead of him without realising it...
> 
> But after your peculiar blackout, how will the fight for your soul end? You are at your most vulnerable, your most corruptible...Will you prove strong enough to defeat the odds?

A feeling of complete and utter weightlessness...An echoing in your ears not unlike the sound of water all around you. It was like having your head in a fishbowl, as though you were truly underwater. And above all else, the most alarming sensation of being unable to breathe. It was as if your lungs were made of stone and therefore useless to you. In your chest there was a deep, empty feeling, like your heart had dropped out of your body somewhere along the way to where you were now.

Which you were presently unsure of. Everything was in complete darkness.

But you  _could_ hear faint, seemingly distant voices. They sounded frightened--frantic, even. You couldn't feel your body and you had almost forgotten what had been happening just minutes before. Dominic was still baying for your soul, and you weren't entirely sure that he wasn't going to get what he came for. He was a dogged pursuer of his end of his bargain with your ancestor, Reginald. Against everything you had expected in this strange physical state, you felt another wave of anger wash over you. This was all Reginald's fault-- _all of it_ _._

You didn't blame your parents for trying to protect you. They may not have told you some of their plans to get you away from your family home before Dominic could attack you, but ultimately they were trying to keep you from the darkest secrets that your family held. You understood them; they didn't want you to become any more embroiled in this than you already were. Clearly, though, they hadn't counted on you being as quick as you really were--not that they doubted you. They just wouldn't have expected you to find out about this dreadful secret on your own, and that it was also entirely Reginald's fault.

The voices were coming closer. You could hear them better and yet you could not open your mouth to respond. Then you realised that they weren't actually speaking  _to_ you.

 _"Oh God...Is she...?"_ Your mother, more distant than the closest voices, clearly on the verge of desperate sadness.

Then your father, answering her despite the obvious peril all around you.  _"I think so...Oh **God**..."_

You noted with extreme interest their repeated use of God's name, especially in the presence of at least two demons. You still didn't know who the bespectacled newcomers were but it was evident that they were no more human than Dominic or Sebastian were. You also had no idea of what your parents were talking about. That was before your father angrily began warding people off--apparently--and your ears were met with the soothing sound of Sebastian's voice, even though it sounded as if it was wrought with anger and misery.

 _"Get back!"_ shouted your father angrily.  _"You've caused enough trouble already!"_

 _"Marquess (L/N)..."_ growled Sebastian.  _"I apologise for what I have done but I will not apologise for loving her...You cannot keep me away from her forever!"_

The heart that you felt sure no longer existed inside your body tried to leap, to fly, as Sebastian shouted the truth of his relationship with you at your father. Of course, he completely understood your father's aversion to him now, and the anger that he felt that he had gone ahead and taken you as his mate without his permission or blessing, but Sebastian had the courage of his convictions and he  _loved you._ Not even your parents were going to stand in the way of that. Not now.

You heard Ciel's voice pierce the commotion, ringing out above everything else at that moment.  _"Sebastian...Get back here this instant!"_ he snapped, obviously unable to think of many other things to say. He was incredibly angry that his butler had shown him up like this in front of such important associates but there was nothing else for it now.

The most chilling of all the sounds around you caught your attention next. The unmistakable sound of Dominic letting loose a low, wicked chuckle.  _"I would keep an eye on your young master, Sebastian...Someone else might snap him up before you can,"_

You knew that nobody would. You could feel the desire for your soul radiating from Dominic's body, even though you weren't entirely sure of his precise location relative to yours. You were slowly beginning to regain your bearings, but you remained blind and your hearing was still fuzzy.

 _"Come, Marquess..."_ purred Dominic evilly.  _"She's nearly gone. Why not say goodbye while you still have the chance?"_

"Say goodbye"? What did he mean by that?

 _"Sutcliff! We must retrieve that soul **now** ," _said somebody else. You assumed that it was one of the people you had never seen before.  _"This must be what the books mentioned about this girl dying..."_

 _"She isn't dead!"_ snarled Sebastian. You were getting scared now. You were dying? Was  _that_ what this peculiar feeling was? If you were being honest with yourself, you hadn't expected impending death to give you such a mixture of feelings.  _"Get away from her!"_ You listened as Sebastian warded the vultures off as they approached you for your soul. In his voice, though, you heard something that you never would have expected to hear in a demon--tears. He was upset...Incredibly so. It didn't seem as though he really believed his own words. In the distance you heard Ciel ushering your mother away as she began to sob, terrified of losing you--her only child.

 _"That soul is **mine**_ _!"_ snarled Dominic. You heard him beginning to walk, and his footsteps were definitely coming closer. It was panicking to say the least but suddenly there was a cacophony of loud, clashing bodies. Sebastian had launched himself at Dominic and was furiously keeping him away from you. You heard your father beginning to cry as well, muttering something about it being "impossible" that this should be happening...It shouldn't happen.  _Reginald's mistakes should not allow for this..._

He was right. With everything you knew about Reginald, it really shouldn't have been so that you were now on the brink of eternal rest. If his poor choices combined with Dominic's curse, you should have been able to do something about the situation, but for now all you could hear was Sebastian getting hurt--not without doing some damage in return, though, of course.

You heard someone spit and you smelled blood. Someone was bleeding, but thankfully the person who spoke immediately after the spit was Dominic.  _"You reapers had better take a step or two back...I mean it!"_ he snarled, addressing the two you didn't know. So they were reapers...You would have shivered were you actually one with your own body.

You weren't ready to die yet. You were just getting started. It didn't help that the circumstances surrounding your sudden collapse and deterioration shortly before these events unfolded were questionable, in such a way that there could hardly be very many answers. All you knew was that you  _had_ to find within you that extraordinary power which had resided in you since birth.

-

You sat up with your eyes still closed. You could see everything beyond your closed eyelids; you didn't need to have them open for everyone to see. You knew what they would see anyway, and you didn't want that just yet. Your parents could not know that you knew your family's darkest secret. The reapers stayed away from you and the warring demons sounded as though they had stopped fighting for a moment.

"Well, well, well..." chuckled Dominic. "She lives after all,"

"Oh, she is alive?!" gasped your mother, attempting to free herself from Ciel's--quite ineffective--custody. "Thank God...!"

"I wouldn't be thanking _him_ just yet..." growled Dominic. He continued to stare you down, but you kept your eyes firmly shut.

You could feel all eyes on you and knew that absolutely none were on Dominic anymore. He was not the one to be feared now.

"Miss (F/N)..." you heard Sebastian say, sensing him reaching out to touch you. "Are you...?"

"I'm alive..." you said slowly, quietly... "I suppose,"

He didn't say anything in response. You had a feeling that he knew what was about to happen. You made your way closer to Dominic, taking it slowly. You didn't want to make him react too soon...

"You're a very brave little one..." he murmured, almost with admiration. "I must say that you've made this a lot of fun for me. For that, I promise that I'll be gentle..."

A growl escaped your lips, even through your clenched teeth. Your lip curled in an almost animal fashion, revealing sharp fangs to the redheaded demon. "No need to be gentle with me now..." you whispered, voice almost carried away by the wind. Even then it pierced right through to Dominic's ears. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled at the challenge that you had issued him. You continued to walk towards him, until there was barely any space left between you. "If you're going to do something, you ought to make it fast..." you went on, moving on from challenging him to threatening him.

You first heard the inhuman snarl ripping from his throat, then felt the breeze rush by your head as you speedily side-stepped his first attack. Enraging him was your first task--he was no good to you while calm. He was in total control of his power while at--relative--peace and of sound mind. You grinned again and kicked out at him, trusting in your own abilities now. He had given you a gift when he cursed you, whether he wanted to or not. His powers were your powers, and now he had to face you. You were going to fight, and you could utilise the strength that Reginald had inflicted upon your family for generations since his betrayal of Dominic...

You opened your eyes just as you caught Dominic's fist. It was clearly his goal to knock you unconscious so that you wouldn't resist him. He stopped and stared at you, disbelieving his own eyes.

"No..." he whispered, shaking his head slightly. _"_ _No!"_

Sebastian called out to you, making a move to help you. You held up your other hand and stopped him without looking in his direction. "Please, Sebastian...I can do this for myself..."

"But..."

You sighed and turned to him, reluctantly. You never once let go of Dominic's balled fist, and caught the second one that came flying at you while you weren't looking. Sebastian's eyes widened and your father stared at you in disbelief too, unable to fathom how it came to be that you knew about your family's secret. But, against the sinking feeling that he had been unable to keep you from this terrible truth, he knew that you could handle yourself. He was honoured that you were his daughter.

"(F/N), your eyes..." whispered Sebastian, unsure of what he was feeling at that moment. Then he felt a surge of a mixture of pride and total faith in you pulse through his body. He smiled and placed his trust in you that you would finish this once and for all.

Your eyes glowed fuchsia, and you smiled back at Sebastian before casting your gaze back upon Dominic. He trembled slightly, feeling reality setting in. He was losing the battle. He had been cheated again, but not in the same way.

"You can't do that..." he growled angrily. "You  _can't!_ " 

"Oh, but I can..." you snickered, bright-pink eyes glittering. Your new-found confidence was the result of entering your current state of existence, brought on by extreme anger and _need_ for something. To protect your soul, and to protect those around you. "Reginald may have accepted the life of a demon before you could take his soul, but  _I_ do not require such assistance..."

"That bastard..." hissed Dominic. He wrenched his fists out of your vice-like grip and took a step back. "Killing him wasn't enough..."

"No...He turned his son, too, and you didn't kill  _him_..." you chuckled darkly. "You see, Dominic? You thought that you had the upper hand because you had knowledge of Reginald's past, of his becoming a demon. But even though you knew that my parents hadn't told me about it, I found out about it on my own,"

He was lost for words, unable to construct a coherent sentence to express his anger and frustration that, once again, he had been bested by a human. Or somebody who he had presumed to be human. He hadn't stamped out the 'demon' in the (L/N) family, and it caused him no end of irritation. He couldn't consume your soul while you had the properties of a demon.

He would simply have to kill you.

He let out an almost deafening roar and sprang at you, fangs bared and fuchsia eyes flashing. You smirked and your hand shot out, grabbing his throat. You threw him to the ground, overcome with your amazing new power. It was not superhuman...It was demonic. You wished that your parents had trusted you with this secret before but you knew why they hadn't...Why would they want their daughter to take on the mind and body of a demon? Your soul remained pure, though, the mark that you would bear forever more.

"Demon blood is too potent to simply breed out of a bloodline..." murmured Sebastian, backing away to your father's side. "I suppose that this is the reason for your family's uncanny abilities,"

"Yes..." said your father at length, watching you as you forced Dominic to back away from you with the sheer dynamism of your aura. "...I didn't want (F/N) to know about it. She has channelled the family's demon blood through the most severe of emotions, though, and it is now for her to decide what she does with the family secret...I believe that to do it one must bring themselves to a near-death state...They must truly be desperate to bring it out in themselves,"

You had received the blood from your father, the direct descendant of Reginald. He wasn't proud of it, and neither had any of Reginald's descendants before your father. But he had passed it onto you, and--as he said--it was for you to decide what to do with it. You knew how it worked, and you knew how to use it. For now, though, you were going to use it to repel--or do otherwise--with the demon threatening you at this time.

"You realise that there is no going back after this point..." laughed Dominic, pacing around you in a circle. You followed him round, watching like a hawk. "You've sacrificed it all..."

"No I haven't..." you laughed back. "What a fool you are. If you wanted a pure soul this badly, you should not have chosen  _me_. I do not know if there is a way to go back, as you've said there isn't, but at least by doing it this way I can protect my loved ones...That is what separates you and I, Dominic,"

He laughed yet again, as though you were both telling genuinely funny jokes. "You will not care for long...my lovely little demoness,"

Your breath hitched in your throat and your glare intensified. You felt Sebastian grow angry at the suggestion of Dominic flirting with you, but there was no anger on Earth equal to that which you felt at that moment. Of  _course_ you would always care for your loved ones, no matter  _what_ form you took. If you were a human or a demon, so be it. You would always love them.

Dominic collapsed onto the floor under your blazing stare. He cried out in pain and clutched his head and chest with both hands. All at once he felt a searing headache and agony so intense it was almost as though you were cleaving his heart from his chest with a simple, malicious gaze. The power of a demon was very great indeed, and very terrible.

You did not smile, knowing that what you were doing was awful. But still, he had threatened you, your parents and your lover. "Now you know how it feels to be threatened by someone like you..." you said, gazing upon him now with pity rather than resentment. He looked up at you in horror and anger. Sebastian and your parents looked on in surprise, but could not deny the pride they felt for you. Ciel and the reapers were equally surprised, and also unsure of how seeing the demonic you made them feel overall...

"Even  _I_ can't do that..." he gasped, through the throes of physical torment.

"I know. Only I can," you murmured gently. "So tell me, Dominic...How does it feel to be mortal?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretties!
> 
> Hope you're all well! Another daily update for you, with any luck it cleared up any questions you may have had from Chapter Eighteen and any suspense left over...
> 
> Thank you all again for reading! ^_^ The next chapter will be up tomorrow, but I am afraid that we are quite possibly nearing the end of this story...We'll bridge that gap nearer the time, though! :)
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	20. Last Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding within you power sufficient to bring a demon to its knees, you have managed to turn the tables on Dominic and make him realise your true self--and the danger that you pose to him. What will you do with him now that he is at your mercy? How will you deal with the questions that will follow?

"Mortal...?" Dominic said, repeating what you had just asked him. "What do you mean "mortal"?"

The rain was getting heavier, and the wind was getting stronger. It was cold out there in the garden and all of your onlookers shivered slightly at the spectacle unfolding before them. The sky was grey with thick, ominous clouds and the sun had retreated out of sight, setting an atmosphere closer to late afternoon than late morning. Your hair blew in the wind and your eyes continued to glow fuchsia, one of the many marks of a demon. For once, you felt the cold but it didn't affect you.

"Just what I said..." you replied calmly. "You can feel it, can't you? The steady pulse of your own soul, something you haven't felt in the longest time..."

"I..." Dominic tried to speak, but placed his hand over his chest as he did, indeed, feel the thrum of his own dark soul. He had never really known his own soul, other than the fact that it was as black as his eyes. He was a demon--of course his soul was corrupt and malevolent. "How did you do that?  _What_ have you done?"

You smiled a little, having thought that he already knew what you'd done to him. You sighed and formulated a concise description of what, exactly, he was being confronted with. "I have forced you to experience the concept of mortality, by confiscating your own power. For now, you are essentially human,"

He let out a low, menacing growl. It didn't scare you; like you'd just told him, he was a human. You were a demon. What did you have to fear from him?

"Where did you get a power like that...?" he muttered irritably, feeling more than slightly vexed that he had been unable to discover such an ability for himself. The things he could have done with such a devastating tool at his disposal...

"As I've already said..." you told him slowly. "It is something that I managed to develop for myself but not without some help...Without your curse and Reginald's selfish decision to become a demon, I would not have been able to do this to you. Without you, this would have been impossible..." You smirked as he thumped a clenched fist upon the patio tiles, now unable to break a thing without his demonic strength. Every word that passed your lips was uttered with the intention of angering him further. To think that he was instrumental in providing you with such extraordinary and destructive power caused him no end of grief and fury.

As rain continued to patter down upon your head and shoulders, wetting the ground beneath your feet and Dominic's knees, you looked up into the dark grey clouds and breathed deeply the cool air, still smelling the scent of winter in the weather. You closed your eyes and let the raindrops fall upon your face, kissing you as they met with you. It was refreshing, and allowed you to refocus on the task at hand. You were anticipating another question from Dominic, for he was sure to have many. But you didn't have the time or the inclination to provide answers for them all.

"Tell me..." he said, coughing slightly with the pain in his chest. It was almost as if you were slowly coaxing the soul out of his body. "How did I help you to gain this power?"

You chuckled. "As soon as you began to lose your head, you began to lose control of your own power. I am assuming that you did not know that a demon can usurp the power of another...?" you said, and Dominic shook his head slowly. He was clearly incensed by the idea, and then realised that this had been exactly how you had taken his powers away the first time. "...You left yourself completely open..." you added, enjoying the sight of him becoming angrier and angrier with both himself and you, because not only had you tricked him but he had let his guard down.

Somewhere in the distance you all heard the first rumbles of thunder. A storm was rolling in, with almost too-perfect timing for the situation at hand. You breathed in deeply again and smiled. You had always appreciated nature in all its forms...

"You would be wise to hope that I don't work out how to do this myself..." growled Dominic, trying to threaten you again. No matter what kind of dire circumstances he was in, he would look to any opening for a chance to gain some ground on you. "There will be a whole world of pain and trouble for you if I do..."

You laughed out loud at his attempt at using fear tactics. You were beyond it all, now. You had been elevated to a state of perfect strength and fearlessness. You had nothing to be worried about as far as this man before you was concerned. "You are rather bold, I must say. You're not exactly in a position to challenge me..." you said, making it clear to him that you had the upper hand and that he needed to be careful.  _Very_ careful. Besides the anger that he was making you feel, you wanted to prove to Sebastian that you could handle yourself and the situation as a demon would.

Just as Dominic was about to speak out against you, he doubled over in pain again as you inflicted yet more of it upon him. The searing, burning pain that he felt was damage being done directly to his soul, something that you had already learned to do in the short time you had known how to force mortality upon an immortal creature.

"Enough," you said, in a very commanding tone. "The reason behind your present suffering is the suffering you have caused me and my loved ones...The anger that I felt because of your actions is the direct cause of your pain! If you hadn't forced this...You might still be as powerful as you were just an hour ago..."

Your tone of voice suddenly changed to one of sadness, regret that things had to be so severe. You didn't like to torture people, but you would do whatever it took to protect what you cared about. You shook your head violently and your hair swished about your face, damp with rainwater. Dominic's eyes had returned to the colour of the darkest shadows because he was no longer a demon, but even without supernatural powers he could tell that you were deciding what his punishment would be.

"Well?" he snapped, impatiently. "Get it over with...Or are you too soft?"

Your eyes locked with his and you let them burn right through to his soul. He squirmed uncomfortably, knowing that you could have caused him far more pain than you currently were inflicting on him. You approached and stood over him, staring apathetically down into his face. He looked up at you questioningly, wondering if you were actually going to murder him in front of everybody.

"You could take my soul right now..." he growled. "I _am_ human, after all. You could have your revenge..."

You smirked and crouched down, bringing your eyes to the same level as his. "But that would be rather too easy, wouldn't you agree...?" you murmured, fully intending to give him the sense of foreboding that suddenly consumed his entire being. "I don't think that this is the best course of action..." You stood up and continued to pretend to think about what you were going to do to him but you already knew. That much was obvious."

_"Well?!"_ barked Dominic, evidently becoming both distressed and impatient. "Are you going to kill me or not?!"

"No," you said, simply. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to set you free, on the condition that you never come back to threaten us again,"

You heard some quiet muttering coming from behind you as your little audience were obviously beginning to discuss the reasoning behind your strange decision. Dominic had fully intended to  _kill you_ , and here you were setting him free. But it was not quite as blissful and scot-free as it appeared...It was still very much a punishment, and a very hard-hitting blow for the black-eyed demon.

"Set me...free..." he repeated slowly, plainly trying to get his head around what you were allowing him to do. "But..."

"Do not mistake my generosity for kindness," you growled. "You're leaving-- _now_ ,"

"L-like this...?" he stammered, unable to clear the encroaching mist from his mind to see the situation with clarity. 

"Yes, as you are. A  _human_ ," you said with a dark, wicked undertone. He shook his head and refused to believe what you were saying. He didn't move a muscle after that, stubbornly declining to leave the premises. You sighed and shrugged your shoulders, not really caring either way. "If you choose not to leave, you know what your other option is. You will die..."

His head flew up and he shook his head, still unclear on the terms of your judgement on him. Seeing that you were absolutely serious, and seeing the resolution on your face and the mental preparation behind your eyes to kill him, he forced himself up off the floor and staggered away. You waited a few minutes until you were beyond certainty that he was gone. You turned back to your parents and Sebastian and smiled more serenely.

"I am sorry that you all had to see that..." you murmured, sensing your body returning to normal. Your eyes were no longer fuchsia, and had become their normal (E/C) hue again. Your father stepped forward to take you by the hand, rubbing the top of it with your thumb.

"You were very brave..." he said, although with sad eyes. "Your mother and I had hoped that you would never be exposed to this, but...You handled yourself very well. You did what you had to do, and you...you protected us. Thank you, bumblebee..."

To hear him using your old nickname touched your heart and you felt the tears welling up in your eyes as he pulled you into a loving, fatherly embrace. He was clearly not resentful of what you had become, the existence that you had adopted, and there was nothing to forgive. Over his shoulder, you could see Sebastian gazing gently at you. Dolly had carefully, quietly made her way over to your mother and Ciel, and had remained there for the majority of your confrontation with Dominic. You were very glad to see that she was alright and, for the most part, unharmed. She was probably a little shaken but you could not see any injuries upon her person.

"I didn't want any of you to know that I knew about the family secret..." you whispered worriedly. "I just didn't know what else to do,"

"How did you find out about it...?" asked your father, just as your mother reached your side and pulled you into a flowery hug of her own. She was a very soft, sweet and fragrant woman. It was very comforting to you.

"The same way I found out that Sebastian was a demon too..." you murmured. "I saw it in him, and I saw it in you. I saw it in grandfather...and I think you could see it in him too..."

Your father sighed and nodded in agreement, looking down at his shoes. They were covered in raindrops from the small deluge just before. "What you say is true..." he said. "Fortunately, our family members who have been afflicted with this...trait in the past have not had cause to make use of it. You are the first, but hopefully now the curse will die out..."

"I suppose the blood in our family does what it says on the bottle..." you said, laughing a little. "...I believe it stands to reason that one with a demon's blood in their veins would be able to recognise another demon on sight..."

"Unless, of course, the other demon is not entirely demonic..." Sebastian cut in, coming closer to all of you. He smiled, as though he didn't mind not knowing the whole truth of your existence. He loved you no less for it. "Your family has done very well to hide its nature,"

Again, your father nodded. He turned and looked up at Sebastian, who was only really slightly taller than him. With a calm expression and an equally calm voice, he spoke to the man who was as much a demon as he was your lover. "I suppose an apology is in order..." said your father, softening his eyes as he regarded Sebastian. The latter raised an eyebrow, wondering what your father was referring to. "I was...quite hard on you before, and I am sorry for that. I was simply trying to do what was best for my daughter, and to keep her out of harm's way as well as off the path of a demon...I am sure that you can understand that..."

"I understand perfectly, my Lord..." said Sebastian graciously, bowing to your father. "...Any father would have done the same. I apologise for courting your daughter without your permission..."

Just as he was about to go on, Ciel approached the little gathering of people and spoke to his butler. "I should think you _were_ sorry," he said harshly, clearly unforgiving of Sebastian for what he believed was humiliating him. He had not expected that Sebastian's attraction to you would have resulted in him mating with you. It made him more than just a little uneasy; it made him feel a whole plethora of different, negative emotions, but underneath it all something stirred in his soul that felt awfully and slightly like pride.

Perhaps he was alright with your relationship with Sebastian after all. He would never admit that, though.

"I am, deeply..." said Sebastian, glancing over at you with remorse in his eyes. "However, I would not change it for the world,"

Your father looked seriously at Sebastian and, at long last, managed a smile. He glanced over at your mother and smiled at her too, as she returned his. Turning back to Sebastian he said, "Please look after her," His eyes were very soft and quite shiny as he regarded the demon stood beside you, now. "I am sure that you will do this anyway, but protect her with everything that you have..."

"I will, sir," said Sebastian, smiling gently back at your parents. The last few drops of rain were falling slowly down to the world below that great, patchy grey sky, now broken by shafts of sunlight. The thunder could still be heard in the distance but for the first time that late winter, it felt like spring was truly on its way. Sebastian turned his head slightly to look at you with deep affection. "I love her,"

"Sebastian..." you gasped, making a desperate attempt to wrap your head around what he'd just said to your father, about you. "You...?"

"I may be a demon, (F/N), but I am more than capable of loving my mate. The only being in existence who I am able to love..." he said gently, entwining his fingers with yours. He was obviously capable of being just as sweet as any human gentleman caller could be. Your heart pounded in your chest out of love for him; you had wanted to tell him for so long now...

"I love you too..." you whispered, not caring that you were in front of your parents. They continued to smile, as Dolly did, while Ciel simply watched with a plain expression. The two reapers looked on as well, but the red-haired one was not pleased at all.

"Who does she think she is...?!" cried Grell, stamping their feet in a kind of tantrum. You, Sebastian and everybody else ignored them, but your parents were the ones to speak out next.

"I know that you'll keep her happy..." said your mother, speaking to Sebastian. It was almost as if you were stood there with him waiting for their full approval.

You felt Sebastian's hand on your arm as he rubbed it and held you closer to him. If you could have seen yourselves from your parents' and Ciel's perspective, the pair of you looked portrait-ready and as though  _you_ were the Lord and Lady of the household.

You all started to walk back towards Phantomhive Manor for rest and conversation with each other. There was still much to talk about, namely the future, but you were overcome with a sense of achievement and also a sense of peace.

You looked up at Sebastian as he walked alongside you, and you sensed that he was no longer troubled by the sudden revelation of his relationship with you. He noticed you looking and smiled down at you.

"All's well that ends well, hm?" you said with a giggle. You walked with your arm linked with his, and as you continued on to the manor you watched--with your head as close to Sebastian's shoulder as you could manage--as the two reapers, who had failed in their job for the day, broke off from the group and walked away without another word to anyone. 

A songbird sang a little tune in a nearby leafless tree, as another rumble of thunder resounded in the distance. Both you and Sebastian breathed out gently in a soft sigh of contentment and relief.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooooo beautiful readers!
> 
> So this was Chapter Twenty...! Can't believe it got this far! I'm so happy that you lovely people have been following the story; knowing that it's being enjoyed makes it all worthwhile! I'm pretty sure it's got another chapter left in it--I love writing this for you guys!--but lemme know if you'd like an OVA chapter at the end like in the anime series...I may or may not have a sweet little idea for the very end... <3
> 
> But, stay tuned for the final *official* chapter coming your way tomorrow! ^_^
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	21. Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple of weeks after your showdown with Dominic, everything has calmed down and you are back to living your life as you did before...Except not entirely as a human. But this new lease of life hasn't been so difficult to get used to, as much has continued from where you left off. Your parents accept that this is what you have chosen, your friends either know no different or are happy to keep your secret safe, and your lover couldn't be more pleased with the outcome of the past fiasco.
> 
> Maybe it's about time you showed him what you've learned as a demon...

The soft breeze stroked your cheeks and hair as you sat in the garden, watching the happy yellow daffodils swaying with the wind as you basked in the early springtime sun. The spring season had arrived very early indeed this year, and to you that signalled the beginning of a beautiful future ahead. You could not deny that you were incredibly pleased to see the sudden burst of colour and life beyond the windows of your home, or that you had been very eager to make the most of the good weather. Even though you sat with a pretty parasol over your head, you could still feel the warm rays of the premature springtime sun beating down on your legs--you felt its warmth even though the skirts of your dress.

Soon, you thought, it would be time for outdoor activities like polo and picnicking, and other things that would allow you to enjoy the sunny days ahead. Even the rainy days would be good, though, because with warmth and rain came thunderstorms. Springtime and summertime storms were exciting and lovely to watch--especially at night--as the skies were clearer and it was always easier to see the forks of lightning shooting about above you. And of course, the summer ahead of you heralded more evenings of stargazing and counting the shooting stars...

You would never lose your appreciation for nature, you realised. No matter what you were--no matter what nature had rendered you--you would never cease to marvel at its ways and its creations. You would never be emotionless, or unfeeling. It didn't matter that you were no longer entirely human--you still remembered clearly what it was like to be one. And most importantly, you had retained the ones you loved from your previous way of life and the purest soul in the whole world.

You smiled to yourself, gazing out across the masses of colourful spring flowers and listening to the distant bleating of the first, early spring lambs in the fields beyond your home. Nobody would ever be able to take any of these things away from you.

Best of all, though, was the fact that you had people to enjoy these wonders with. Since your parents had--before their time--found out about your relationship, you had started seeing more and more of Sebastian. Your father had been experiencing increased business dealings with Ciel  _anyway_ , but with Ciel always came Sebastian. Now you no longer had to hide your feelings for each other and it was deemed perfectly acceptable for him to spend time with you without any sneaking about. On the days that Ciel came to visit, Sebastian would be allowed to seek you out and spend time with you--as long as he did not attempt to "try anything funny". Not that he hadn't already...

You hadn't imagined that Sebastian would have an appreciation for the little things in nature that you held so dear to your heart. It leaped at every sight and sign of spring, of new life, that you had thought that it only happened to you because you were--sort of--human _and_ demon. But Sebastian appeared to enjoy the same things as you, and seemed to have just as good a time sitting with you quietly as being more active and talking together. You and he had more than just a deep bond now; you had an understanding. You didn't  _need_ to do anything to enjoy each other's company. You just needed each other.

On this particular day you knew that Sebastian and Ciel would be visiting your father again, and Sebastian would soon be out to be with you. You eagerly awaited the sound of his voice, to sense his presence as he approached you. He wasn't at the house yet, but you would know as soon as he was. That was simply the power of your bond as mates.

You closed your eyes and lowered your parasol, collapsing it and propping it up against the white wicker chair in which you sat. The soft sun beat down gently upon your face and you breathed in deeply. The scent of the fresh, new flowers tickled your nose and along with the distant bleating of baby sheep you could hear little bees buzzing around near the flowerbeds, making the most of the sunny day to collect the first pollen of spring. You had seen butterflies before you had closed your eyes as well, and some of them were the most colourful you had ever seen in your life. It truly was a beautiful day.

-

"Hello, my love..." said Sebastian, startling you awake. You hadn't realised that you had fallen asleep. You turned to him and smiled in a slightly sleepy fashion.

"Hello, darling..." you replied, and made to stand up to greet him with a kiss. However, he moved in front of you and placed both hands on the armrests of your chair, trapping you where you sat. He leaned in and kissed you himself, refusing to let you stand.

He parted his lips from yours and smirked at you. "Why did you want to stand up?" he chuckled.

"To greet you, of course. I...wanted to do that to you," you admitted shyly. You were still as much yourself as ever, except with the added confidence of a demon. It didn't stop you from blushing, though.

Sebastian laughed again and stood up straight, pulling you up with him and then flush against your body. You felt yours heat up uncontrollably at being so close to him again. You had been longing for it for weeks, now. "Oh, how I wish your father wouldn't have us watched so closely..." he murmured, voice filled to the brim with desire. He was referring to the servants, one of which was chosen every time the Earl came to visit with Sebastian to keep an eye on him when he went to be with you. You didn't know where said servant was at present, but you knew that they would be watching.

"I wish it was so..." you whispered, placing your cheek on his chest. You could hear his heart beating this way, and you felt even closer to him by doing it.

"Well...we could always give them a show..." he chuckled darkly, snaking his arms around your body to hold you even tighter.

"Sebastian...!" you gasped, scolding him. "I didn't take you for an exhibitionist..."

He smirked and chuckled again, more quietly this time. "And I took  _you_ for an innocent young lady..." he growled in an impossibly seductive voice. "But perhaps I was mistaken in that assumption...What is an "innocent young lady" like you doing with knowledge of exhibitionism?"

He delighted in seeing your cheeks blush bright pink as he teased you, leaning closer to your face as he did so. He peered into your eyes, searching for the answer, but he knew that such tactics would not work so effectively now that you were much more like him than before. "I may have read about it in a book some time ago..." you muttered, unwilling to tell him exactly how that came to be.

"My, my...I do believe that you have it in you to be quite naughty, then, my darling," he purred, stroking your side with his wandering left hand.

"You have no idea..." you mewled back, smirking up at him. You would play his game, you thought. There was no way that he would let up otherwise. He liked to engage you in this sort of thing, to see how far he could make you go.

"Oh really...?"

You giggled alluringly and pulled away from him, sauntering off into the garden. You wanted him to follow, to give chase. You weren't going to let him have you so easily--and you liked the idea of playing hard-to-get. So did Sebastian.

"Where are  _you_ going?" he called after you, watching as you sashayed among the flowers. You turned back to him and smiled saucily, batting your eyelashes at him.  _"Damn it all, I love her..."_ he thought to himself, finding himself unable to do anything but follow you. You had vanished behind a hedgerow by the time he caught up to where he'd last seen you.

He searched for you for another few minutes, without success. He called out to you a couple of times but you refused to answer. You watched him from behind a different hedge, spying on him and stifling a giggle as he looked for you in earnest.

_"How adorable..."_ you thought, just as he stopped and looked around again. He still didn't spot you; your being a demon allowed you to actually hide from him, whereas as a human he would have found you immediately. You moved quickly away in the other direction, skirting around the other bushes and rounding on him from a different side.

"(F/N)? I didn't take you to be  _this_ playful..." he chuckled, knowing that you were nearby. "Why don't you face me, and see who wins then?"

_"Not a chance..."_

You sneaked up behind him and jumped on his back, even in your dress. He gasped in surprise, not having expected you to be so stealthy already. You were coming along in leaps and bounds as a demon, something he never could have anticipated. It had taken him  _years_ to become as proficient as he was as one. Of course, he was much,  _much_ older than you but that didn't matter. He was still impressed.

You tackled him to the ground and held him there on his back, after shifting around as he fell to the floor. You laughed and he smiled with more than a hint of surprise on his face.

"Who is winning now?" you teased, kissing his cheek.

"Not me, evidently," he chuckled, unable to move under your incredible strength. You grinned and nodded.

"Precisely," you said, before leaning in and kissing his jaw. He lay there in the grass and let you do it, not entirely certain that he could best you right now in terms of strength. His hands found their way to your back and caressed you gently, wandering up to your shoulder blades and all the way back down to your bottom. He squeezed you there, eliciting from you a happy little squeak. You nipped at the top of his neck, the skin that was exposed above his high shirt collar, sending to him a warning that you were in charge at present. "Careful," you said, bringing your lips to his. You kissed him slowly, savouring the moment and making damn sure he did too.

"You say that  _I_ should be careful...?" he growled, bringing one of his hands to your front and trailing his fingers all the way from your stomach to your breasts. You moaned a little, turned on by the fact that you were doing this out in the open. It was far too risky and you loved it.

"Yes," you growled, pinning him down suddenly. His eyes widened in great surprise and he smiled excitedly. He was comfortable lying in the soft grass, with you lying on top of him, and he liked your approach to taking control very much. He wondered what you were going to do with this newfound power of yours, but knew for a fact that you were not going to risk you both getting caught in the  _garden,_ of all places. "You should be  _very_ careful. You don't know what I might do,"

"I would like to see that..." he growled hungrily.

You cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked. You didn't say anything, but considered that it was about time that you showed him how truly devilish you could be nowadays. Pushing your ladylike nature aside, and your propriety, you crawled lower down his body before he could figure out what was happening and unbuckled his belt.

_"(F/N)!"_ he gasped, suddenly realising what was going on. "W-what are you doing...?"

You decided not to answer him, and carried on with your original course of action. You swiftly, gently found your way into his trousers and uncovered a very  _interesting_ fact indeed. He was already hard and throbbing, and it gave you much pleasure to observe this. More than that, though, was his apparent bashfulness. You glanced up at his face and saw that  _he_ was blushing. Was he  _embarrassed?_ Like you had been when he'd done almost the same thing to you?

You smiled and gave him a tiny, experimental lick with the tip of your tongue, forcing him to focus on you. When you knew that you had his undivided attention, you kissed his length before taking it entirely into your mouth--you'd read about this in some dirty book, too. It brought you no end of delight to know that  _you_ were able to make this very charming, composed and otherwise confident man blush. He gasped and twitched underneath you, touching the top of your head with both hands. You didn't know if he wanted you to stop or if he was enjoying it too much, but you carried on anyway in case it was the latter.

"Nn...(F/N)..." he mumbled, almost incoherently. You just about heard him though, and let out a sweet little moan as you worked your soft mouth and tongue on him. To top it all off, the gentle breeze brought even more attention to how exposed he felt. If you didn't stop soon, he'd...

You stopped short, just as you felt him jerk violently underneath you. You quickly put him away and did his belt for him, before standing and winking at him.

"That's quite enough for you, I think," you said tauntingly. It was never your intention to give him what he wanted  _entirely..._

"Hm...?!" he said, looking up at you in shock.  _"She really does know how to play games..."_ he thought, pushing himself up off the grass. You giggled and started moving off towards the house again, certain that someone would soon come looking for you both. Sebastian gave chase, running after you this time. "Why did you stop?"

You felt like playing with him some more, and teasing him. "Well...You were blushing so I thought that maybe you were embarrassed...I thought that it would be best to stop, to save you any more humiliation..."

He growled savagely and grabbed your waist, pulling you to him in an instant. You chuckled as he kissed and gently bit down on the soft flesh of your neck. "I was not blushing..." he said in a low voice, determined to best you now. "And I was not humiliated...I wanted more..."

As soon as he'd said that he knew that he'd lost, even though he was trying to win the game. "You _know_ that you were blushing," you said teasingly. "And I know that you wanted more. I just wanted to make you suffer,"

He groaned with desperation in his voice. You were  _everything_ to him. Without you, he'd be lost. "Said like a true demon..." he purred, licking your neck like an animal. "...But I will not let you win. You can expect me to visit you later...Tonight,"

You shivered with anticipation and excitement, hoping desperately that he would keep to his word. You smiled and gazed up at him, knowing that he would always be there and he would be yours, just as you would be his. He knew what you were thinking--everything from your arousal to your love for him. He leaned in and seized your lips in a loving kiss.

"You are beautiful," he said, kissing you again. And, between every fragmented sentence that he uttered, he kissed you. "You are perfect in every way. You are the one that I love. I will never, ever leave you..."

You couldn't ask for better than that. Your mind flashed back to when you had first met each other, the intense, lingering stare that you had shared and your thoughts at the time resting on the resolution that you would never get used to seeing someone look at you that way. Now, you thought, it was just a sign that the two of you were made for each other. It didn't matter what you were; you were meant to be together. The happiness you both felt in each other's company was all you needed to prove that fact.

You wrapped your arms around the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.  _He_ was perfect, and this you conveyed to him through that passionate kiss.

The future excited you greatly, and knowing that you would be together throughout it was the most comforting and joyful prospect about it. He held you close, enveloping you in his warm, loving embrace. You could tell that he was looking forward to your eternity together just as much as you were...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, beautiful people!
> 
> Chapter Twenty One is now complete...and so is the main bulk of this tale! Unfortunately, that's a wrap for the main story! I'm very happy to have had all you lovely readers along for the journey; you were the ones making the writing worthwhile, and I had a hell of a lot of fun doing it :') 
> 
> From here I will include an OVA chapter which I hope you'll enjoy--it's supposed to be very fluffy--and I will now be taking requests from anybody who would like to make one! I'd be more than happy to give it a go! ^_^
> 
> Thank you all once again <3
> 
> \- SooperChicken


	22. Sweetness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sugary-sweet little OVA to satisfy your need for "gratuitous fluff"!

You and Sebastian lay side-by-side, huddled together in a warm embrace. Your clothes were strewn about the room, and so for cover you lay beneath the duvet of your bed. Your bedroom curtains were open and you could see clearly the bright white moon hanging like a lantern in the night sky. You snuggled into Sebastian's warm body as he wrapped his arm around you, holding you close. It had been several months since your fight with Dominic, and you had gone against your father's hinted warnings about being intimate with Sebastian several times. Of course, your parents did not know about it, and it was not a bad thing. It was just...naughty.

Neither of you needed to say anything to make yourselves understood. You loved each other, and each other's company, and there was nobody you preferred spending time with. Sebastian often sneaked away from the Phantomhive Estate in order to be with you, disobeying Ciel on every level even when the boy was asleep. Sebastian wouldn't leave the house if he thought that Ciel would be in any danger, so of course his presence in your home, in your room and in your bed was evidence of Ciel's safety.

You nuzzled your head against Sebastian's strong chest and he pulled you closer, using his other hand to tug the covers up to your chest--he cared more about keeping you warm, but of course he enjoyed the sight of your naked body pressed against his. In fact, he had enjoyed it even more this particular evening because you'd been the one in charge while on top of him...

He smiled to himself and kissed the top of your head. You giggled and wriggled closer to him.

"You are positively adorable..." he murmured, sliding down the bed to bring his face level to yours. He kissed your nose and grinned as you blushed. "See? Adorable,"

You growled with embarrassment and rolled over, making sure to take some of the bedclothes with you to keep you warm now that you weren't huddled up against your lover. "I am not adorable..." you protested weakly. It wasn't just Sebastian's insistent nature--insistent in that he  _really_ seemed to enjoy complimenting you. It was the fact that you were experiencing the aftermath of orgasm that he was so good at making you achieve. It had a habit of making you incredibly sleepy...

He chuckled and put a hand on your waist, using it to roll you back over to face him again. "Why are you hiding, my love? Am I making you blush?"

"N-no...Don't be ridiculous," you grumbled. You could not resist smiling though--he could catch you out with that any time he felt like it.

"I find that difficult to believe," he murmured into your ear, just before kissing your cheek and forcibly dragging you back to look at him. "But if you continue to sway me with your impossible charm I shall have to do to you something  _unspeakably_ naughty..."

You smiled sweetly up at him, knowing that you had tired him out as well. That wasn't to say that he  _wasn't_ capable of ravaging you again, it just meant that it was more likely that he was content to simply lie there and relax with you. Besides, only a demon could tire another demon out. "Are you sure that you're not too tired...?" you teased.

"If it means giving you a pleasure greater than Heaven I will never be too tired..." he whispered, stroking your cheek with a cool, gentle finger.

"Likewise," you replied lovingly, knowing that you would assuredly find the energy  _somewhere_ in order to go another round with him.

He chuckled. "I can see that you are very tired now, though..." he purred, kissing your forehead. "So I will let you sleep now,"

You whined a little in protest, showing him that you were still more than willing. However, he simply shuffled closer to you and rested his chin on your head, embracing you in his arms so that he could offer you that feeling of complete safety. And of course, you _were_ in complete safety.

"Go to sleep, my angel..." he whispered. You smiled at the irony of his sweet words, but he'd told you on many occasions why he liked to call you that. You were a demon but you still had a good heart and a pure soul. You were as much the day as you were the night, and you were forever able to love wholly and unconditionally. The only person that applied to for Sebastian was you.

In his warm embrace you found yourself drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep. You did not worry about what would happen come morning, because morning had arrived many times after a night spent with Sebastian and you had never been caught before. He would handle it as he always did. Knowing this, you had nothing to worry about and you fell into slumber.

-

The sun was just beginning to rise when you slowly woke up of your own accord. You blinked several times in rapid succession, ridding yourself of the fuzzy sleep-vision that always plagued you in the mornings. You wondered when Sebastian had stopped holding you, but when you looked down at him you found yourself surprised that he was still with you--and  _asleep._

You didn't think that he ever slept, but apparently this particular night had been an exception. You gazed down at his sleeping visage, so innocent and vulnerable for such a powerful demon, and smiled.  _He_ was the adorable one, now. You reached out and ever so gently stroked his hair, feeling the silky, obsidian strands slipping through your fingers. He stirred in his sleep and you retracted your hand quickly, cautious of waking him up. He did not wake, however, and instead snuggled up to you like a child cuddling up to a comfort toy or blanket. You were all-too happy to serve this purpose for the sake of watching your beloved snoozing happily beside you.

"(F/N)..." he murmured, still unconscious. You didn't know the last time he'd been able to sleep, so perhaps the sleep he was getting now was so deep and the dreams so vivid that they felt real to him.

"Yes, darling...?" you whispered back to him, making a concerted effort to make sure that your voice was soft enough to be considered dreamlike. You didn't want to wake him, after all.

He didn't reply, but his hold on you tightened and he pulled you closer as if he knew that the object that he was cuddling was you. You waited a few minutes, patiently awaiting his next utterance.

"I...love..." he mumbled, clearly wandering the misty halls of dreamland without seeing the exit. "...you..."

Your heart melted to listen to him and you began to stroke his hair again to soothe him. You knew that he liked it--it was one of his cute little quirks. "I love you too..."

"Can I...?"

"Can you what?" you asked gently, wondering what was on his sleepy mind. "What is it, my love?"

He stirred and moaned a little in his sleep. A blush appeared on his cheeks, like he was speaking to you as if you were in the dream with him. Again his hold tightened on you, but this time only slightly. "I want to..."

You lay there quietly and waited for him to carry on. You continued to smile at his soppy, sleeping form all the while.

"...give you a f--,"

Your heart felt as though it was almost in your throat, anticipating his entire sentence. He was so deeply asleep that he could not, of course, form an entire sentence in one go. You desperately wanted to know what he was dreaming about, what was making him say these things. You continued to gently stroke his hair.

"--family..."

You felt a blush creep into your own face as he finally completed his sentence and continued to sleep on you. The happiness that consumed your being was almost overwhelming, and all you wanted to do was ask him if he really meant that or if it was just a dream. You didn't have long to wait, for he woke up suddenly and sat straight up in bed, letting go of you in the process.

"...Are you alright, my love?" you asked kindly, softly rubbing his shoulder. He turned around and smiled sleepily at you.

"Yes, my sweet. I am alright..." he replied, blinking in a dazed fashion. "I...cannot remember the last time that I was able to sleep. That must be the magic you work on me..."

You smiled brightly at him and came forwards on your knees, hugging him from behind. You both looked out of the window and watched the sun as it continued to rise into the morning sky. "I am glad to be of service..." you murmured in his ear, just before kissing his neck. You  _so_ wanted to ask him about his dream, but you couldn't muster the courage just yet...

"...Was I talking in my sleep?" he muttered, clearly slightly alarmed by the prospect.

"A little..." you giggled, pressing your cheek up against his.

He groaned with embarrassment and glanced at you out of the corner of his eye. "What was I saying...? I hope that it was nothing...incriminating,"

"No, nothing like that..." you whispered, savouring the feeling of skin against skin as you hugged him.

"Then may I ask what it was...?"

You sighed and contemplated skirting around the truth a little, but then you realised that he would work out that you were lying at some point anyway. "You said that you...wanted to give me a family..." you said gently, hoping that he wouldn't take the news badly. He seemed to be more than just a little embarrassed at this point, after all.

"Oh...I see..." he said, pondering what you had said. "...What did you make of that?"

"I thought that it was very sweet..." you told him honestly. "I suppose it was only a dream, though, so there is nothing to be embarrassed about, darling,"

He let loose one small chuckle and turned to face you. "I wanted it to be real..." he admitted in a quiet voice.

"You really meant it...?" you whispered in surprise. Your heart was on its way to beating a million times a minute.

"Of course I did..." he said, just as the same blush as when he was sleeping began to appear on his face again. You smiled delightedly at him and hugged him even tighter.

"Well...We are lifelong mates, after all..." you whispered to him, already hinting to him what you were about to say. "...I think we can make it happen one day..."

He turned to you properly and smiled, pink dusting his cheeks in the most adorable fashion. He cupped your face with his hands and brought you in for a beautiful, tender kiss. "If you would allow me to be the father of your children, you would make me the happiest man alive..." he whispered, pressing his forehead gently against yours.

You could not help but smile back. "Nothing would make me happier..." you replied, so quietly that if he had been any further away he wouldn't have heard you.

You sealed your unspoken promise with a soft yet passionate kiss, treasuring the impossibly sweet, tender moment with your beloved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour!
> 
> And here is the sweet, fluffy little OVA that I promised you beautiful creatures! I hope that it's cute enough, and similarly I hope that it wasn't too much! I can write sexy stuff but I don't have much experience writing fluffy stuff!
> 
> Aaaaanyway, as I said before, please feel free to shout requests at me from here on out (if you so choose)--I will do my best to deliver! What's your pleasure? :D
> 
> \- SooperChicken


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